Maybe One Day
by RobertDowneyJrLove
Summary: Eddie comes home to find Fiona propped up on the couch with a sprained ankle. Somehow that leads to one of their sweetest moments...and one of their most sexual! Racy kissing and fluff abounds! Slight hurt/comfort. Ongoing series.
1. Maybe One Day

She was watching some ridiculous chick-flick when he trudged through the door - cold, tired, and cranky. His lungs felt as if they might spontaneously combust from exertion in the bitterly cold London air and he was in no mood for chit-chat. He really just wanted to take a hot shower, put on some comfortable sweatpants, and drag himself to bed. He wanted nothing more than to let his bed coccoon him in warmth; the kind that seeped into his skin, relaxed his overly tired muscles and let him drop off into the state of sleep one usually required medication to achieve. That, however, was not to be because he had barely brushed the snow from his shoulders when his name was called.

"Eddie?" Fiona sounded strangled, pained even and she has to clear her throat before attempting to call him again. "Eddie, is that you?"

"Yes." He sighed tiredly, reluctantly trudging into the living room where he thought she was. She was quite the sight, crumpled over against the arm of the couch with her left ankle propped up on the coffee table. He knew first aid well enough that the ice pack should have been wrapped and firmly secured to her ankle, not just draped over it. She fidgeted and squirmed, even though her eyes drooped and her body seemed far more worn down than usual. He furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he took in the scene before him; "Fiona, what the hell happened?"

"I, um, sprained my ankle at work today." Fiona tilted her head in his general vicinity, although with her droopy eyes and blurred vision, that was about ten feet to the left of his actual location. A dramatic display of long, elegant fingers drew his eyes back to the poorly iced ankle. "I'm ready for bed, but I can't make it on my own."

"Why didn't you call Nigel?" Eddie contorted his face, clearly wondering what the hell was going on, that Fiona had to ask him for help. "Couldn't he have helped you?"

"Nigel...we...um, Eddie, I broke up with Nigel." She spat out after some reluctance. "He's gone, and even if he wasn't, he can't lift me."

"Okay why you'd break up with Mister. Wonderful? And two, you weigh maybe ninety pounds soaking wet and he can't lift you?" Eddie raised his eyebrows, refusing to buy the laughable story she's trying to sell him.

Fiona's eyes filled with tears, that threatened to spill over her long lashes as she finally met his clear azure eyes, "I had to tell him about the kisses, Eddie. It didn't seem right to hide it from him."

Eddie kept quiet as he stepped around furniture to reach her. He scooped up her crumpled frame easily and started toward her bedroom. It was only then that he noticed how very little she was wearing for a cold night in London. She had dressed in a slightly translucent white t-shirt that hung loosely over a pair of cut-off sweatpants. Her blonde hair was pulled back in a ponytail with a few gold strands falling in her face. Her left leg was kicked out in front of her and she wrapped her arms around him loosely, resting her head on his collarbone.

"I find it hard to believe Nigel couldn't carry you." Eddie commented with a playful smile.

His shoes had been kicked off at the door, the sleeves of his light blue shirt are rolled up to his elbows and with Fiona cradled against his chest, he looked every bit the part of a husband carrying his wife to bed to have his way with her. Her head is tilted back, soft giggles escaping her as he carried her to her room to help her into bed. She looked every bit the part of a wife letting her husband carry her to bed.

It's the first time they haven't jumped from one extreme to another.

They usually jumped from fighting mad at one another - to the point of extreme hatred - to hot, passionate kissing with groping and the like involved in some way. Usually their kissing was something akin to heavy foreplay.

"Well, this is the same man who had trouble carrying his briefcase." Fiona told him, giggling despite the fact that they're making fun of a man she had once thought she loved.

Eddie laughed as he kicked her bedroom door open and carried her over to the bed. "Well, you're the lightest person I've ever carried."

Despite being tired, cold and quite certain that his lungs had caught fire when he walked through the door, he found this light, playful conversation with the flat-mate he's supposed to hate rather warm and endearing. Okay, yes, Fiona had her moments but so had he and moments of respite, where they aren't foaming at the mouth and spitting horrid insults at one another, made him wonder if it was truly feelings of intense hatred that they harbored for one another or something else. Something more genuine, less of a primal loathing and more of a genuine fondness for one another.

"Thanks Eddie." Her voice broke him from his reverie and made him realize that he was still cradling her against his chest.

He reluctantly set her down on the bed and reached for the blankets to tuck her into bed. He was tucking them around her abdomen when the light, playful moment suddenly became something much more sensual and sexual. It could have been her appreciative smile at him being so willing to help her or it could it have been the hint of pink peeking out from the loose collar of her white t-shirt either way, he found himself staring at her lips, among other things.

"Eddie..." Her voice trailed off as she leant her head up, barely touching her lips to his.

When remembered later, the memory of what exactly triggered it will be blurred slightly by the vivid imagery of them nearly having sex. The kissing, or rather, the almost vicious assault of one another's mouth; being pulled on top of her as he groped for the covers and the soft warmth that lay underneath the layers of blankets. He couldn't remember a time when he had been so desparate, not just for release but for the passion that led up to that powerful release.

"Eddie." She whimpered, pulling him closer, gripping his shoulders like a lifeline because no matter how much she claimed to hate him, the hard hotness of his body was a temptation that she refused to resist.

He was reaching for her shorts when reality crashed back to him. "Fiona we can't -"

Despite desperately wanting too - and they both do - he knew that she was still in shock over the loss of her relationship and he had no intention of being the rebound. She was grieving over a lost relationship and it would have felt too much like taking advantage of her and although he's male, he still had his morals. This temptation was one he has to resist.

"Eddie -?"

"Fiona, you just broke up with Nigel. I'm not taking advantage of you." Eddie murmured, pulling completely away and standing up. He carefully tucked her under the covers and brushed some hair from her face. He made his way out of the room, pretending not to notice the contented smile that tugs at Fiona's lips as she let her eyes close.

He was sweet and tender when he was being playful. Exuding a warmth and a different kind of a sexuality than usual. It was different from the fiery hardness of the hatred that he was supposed to feel for her. It was a good kind of a different. The kind of different that made her wonder what exactly having Eddie Arlette as a boyfriend would be like.

Oh hell.

That could be a problem considering they were supposed to hate each other.

Maybe one day.

* * *

><p><strong>Hel-lo Lovelies, as you can tell, this is edited. Enjoy! <strong>


	2. Getting Closer

A_ week later..._

If someone had told Fiona Bickerton when she met Eddie Arlette that she'd be craving a kiss from the oh-so-sexy and delicious New York Detective, she probably would have laughed in your face. Probably even throttled you senseless. She wouldn't have believed you - after all, in her mind, there was no way on God's green earth she'd ever want to kiss Eddie Arlette. She was supposed to be repulsed by the guy. Of course, that kiss that had happened in the confines of her bedroom a week ago probably did nothing to help her maintain that conviction. Her insistance that she hated him was now wobbling quite unsteadily on the rather shaky grounds of a blown mind.

Yes, Eddie Arlette had completely blown her mind, in ways she hadn't previously thought possible. She wasn't sure why but for some reason, that harder, more primal side of Eddie had been something she wanted more of. The man beneath the sarcastic, hate fueled insults and the off-handed blows to her ego. The man that could go from sweet and almost tender one minute to hot, sexual and primal the next. The man that had clawed his way through her covers to get to her.

She wanted more of him.

She wanted to find out if he always like that when he kissed a woman or if there was just something about that moment that made him like that. She also wanted to rip his shirt off and feel those delicious abs of his. She'd seen them on more than one occasion and occasionally, fantasized about touching them but she really wanted to know what they felt like - for real.

And if she was totally honest with herself, she wanted to know what it would be like to date him.

She wasn't quite sure why or even how, but she ended up at Scotland Yard. Not that she knew what to do or what she planned on saying to him, she hadn't got past the need to see him yet. If she couldn't kiss or touch him in any manner that might be considered inappropriate, she could at least visit him. Although, even she had to admit that the lack of explanation for her visit would be hard to explain but she was sure could get around that.

"I'm looking for Eddie Arlette?" She mumbled to a woman with a pinched face and narrowed eyes - bored, much?

The woman scrutnized her appearance with a bored but clearly disapproving expression and jerked a small, wrinkled thumb in the vague direction of a large oak door to her left. Yikes. The woman was clearly unhappy and Fiona was now acutely aware of how inapppropriate her attire was for a suit-and-tie place like Scotland Yard. Her old gray sweatpants, ratty tank top in an abhorrent shade of pink, with a mismatched jacket, and fuzzy slippers aren't meant for the public eye but she'd had a halting moment of realization and left the house in a haste to see Eddie.

He looked exhausted, hunched over his desk focused intently on the stack of paperwork. She stopped at the door, taking just a moment to watch him work. She had never seen him at work, when he was truly functioning at his best and to be frank, it looked more exhausting than she had ever realized.

"Just put the coffee on the desk, Pippin." He mumbled, still scribbling on a piece of paper, interrupting her muse.

"Hi Eddie."

It wasn't instinctive and there was no obvious reason for her to do so but she flinched back shyly. Afraid of rejection, she supposed, but it wasn't as if she hadn't faced it before. So why was she so scared of it now? Perhaps, it was different with Eddie. There's more to be afraid of - not just the idea that he'll reject her, but the very real possibility that he could hate her more than he already does. There was so much to lose with a relationship like this. Okay, so it wasn't technically a relationship but she hoped she could change it.

His pen thudded against the stack of papers and folders and he motioned her in, rising to his feet as he did so. "Close the door behind you."

Fiona Bickerton had never felt more nervous in her life than when she eased herself into his office and shut the door. There was something utterly terrifying about being in a closed room with him. His office space was small for a Scotland Yard Inspector, but it lent itself well to way Eddie worked - focused and determined, without distraction. The complete lack of organization spoke of how unsuccessful London had been at taking that rough-and-tumble detective from New York and replacing him with a neat, organized, and meticulous Scotland Yard Inspector. But, she supposed, he had to work with what they gave him and there simply wasn't the space to organize as he would have liked.

"What are you doing here?" Eddie questioned softly, moving around his desk, twisting his hips to narrowly avoid the corner of his desk. "I didn't expect to see you here. After what happened, I just thought, well-"

"We live in the same flat, Eddie." Fiona cut in, crossing her arms over her chest. She doesn't know why she was being so defensive. He had every reason to believe she would avoid him, but she had fooled him and left him without the advantage. "We need to talk."

"About what?" His harshly growled response surprised even him and made Fiona flinch noticeably. He softened and moved closer to her, hoping to apologize for being so mean about something that was only the truth.

It wasn't Fiona's fault that he had been on edge lately. Okay. So, yes, technically it was her fault but it was his own fault too and he'd admit to that. After all, he could have prevented this whole screwed up mess with a little more self-control. And even he knew that was a bold-faced lie. He had absolutely no self-control, especially when it came to a woman - especially when said woman was Fiona, whom he had come to appreciate a little more in the past few weeks, since they had kissed. That had really tested his self-control and then that _incident _last week had really pushed him over the edge.

Lord.

He honestly couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why he had needed her so bad. Why he had clawed her bed in a desperate attempt to feel her soft warmth beneath him? Why he hadn't given a second thought to her sprained ankle once their lips met?

"I'm sorry," He apologized wearily, sinking down into a chair normally meant for Pippin or people he had to interview for a case. "I'm just frustrated."

"Well so am I!" Fiona barked at him, almost ready to pout and stamp her foot like a petulant child but she actually wanted to get somewhere with this particular conversation. "I'm frustrated that we kissed and then it seemed like you just disappeared! You've avoided me all week, Eddie!"

"What do you want me to say, Fiona?" Eddie snapped, slamming his hands down on the desk. "That I didn't like it?"

"Well, did you?" Fiona prodded him for an answer - any answer.

"I nearly shredded your bedsheets and it wasn't because I wanted to get away!" Eddie's exasperation has become clear at this point.

"Then why did you?"

He towered above her, ignoring the chair that toppled over behind him when in his haste to stand up, he knocked it backwards. His eyes, so damned blue they made even the clearest of water look murky and disgusting, bore into hers. The scrutiny she felt under his analytical gaze made her uncomfortable and she stepped back a little bit, hoping to escape it. The tension damn near _fried _the air; crackling between them in a hot, slightly desparate mix of arousal and uneasiness.

It took him less than a second to give into it.

His mouth was hot and demanding, moving against hers, plundering and exploring with a dominance she usually hated in men, but with him, she wanted more. He shoved her against his desk, slamming his hands down on the wood to trap her between it and his body - not that she wanted to move, judging by the impressive grip she had on his shoulders. Her mouth was warm and soft and, oh dear God, he wanted more.

"Eddie!" She whimpered against his mouth, driving her hips into his and curling her fingers into his lapels. "Not close enough."

Neither of them heard the heavy door creak open and Pippin appear in the doorway. His mouth dropped, lips forming a distinct 'O' shape at the sight before him and he narrowly avoided dropping the cups of hot coffee in his hands. He always knew they'd make gorgeous children, he just hadn't known at the time that those children would be conceived on the desk that he and Eddie worked cases from. He closed his mouth and crept back out of the office, pulling the door shut behind him.

He could catch up with Eddie later.

* * *

><p><strong>Niagaraweasel<strong>,** you're the best! Thanks for the writing tip, it helped! I know what I'm going to do with it now! Oh and I will be making good on my promise to get Eddie out of his shirt! Anywho, leave me some love Dolls!**

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	3. Definitely

The _office incident _was all but forgotten about when he got home that night. She had scurried out of his office, like a timid little mouse after they had reluctantly parted for oxygen. It hadn't left him with much more than empty lungs and a stack of paperwork to finish before he could go home for the day. He wasn't entirely surprised to find the house completely silent when he opened the door. It was nearing midnight and he figured that she had already gone to bed. His shoes are kicked off by the door and he headed for the bedroom, nimble fingers loosening his tie and working over the buttons on his shirt.

He sighed with exhaustion as he shouldered his bedroom door open and stumbled in. He divested himself of his work clothes, trading the stuffy discomfort of a suit for the soft, breathable comfort of a pair of worn sweatpants. It took every ounce of whatever strength he had left to trudge to the bathroom to brush his teeth before he crawled into bed. The cool blue sheets felt good against his back and he was just about to drop off into unconsciousness when a timid knock echoed through the room.

With an irritated grown, he tossed the covers back and stumbled to the door, yanking it open. It's through half-lidded eyes that he registered the small frame shadowed in the darkness of the hallway as his flat-mate. She stood before him in a filmy, soft looking tank top and a pair of blue plaid shorts that barely covered enough to qualify as such. Despite her sexy bedroom attire, she looked very timid and shy, with her arms crossed over her abdomen and her eyes focused quite intently on the floor.

"Fiona," Eddie sighed warily, opening the door wider to let her in despite the exhaustion that weighed him down. This was inevitable, better to get it over with quick. "Fiona, it's the middle of the night."

"I can't hate you anymore!" She exclaimed loudly, pushing past him and collapsing in a defeated heap on his bed. "I can't hate you!"

"What the hell - ?" Eddie slammed the door and turned to her, face scrunched up in confusion. "Fiona, what the - ?"

"Since this morning," Fiona's voice was shaky and the nervous sincerity in it was a clear indicator that she wasn't as prepared for this as she seemed. "I've tried to hate you - resent you, for this morning and even for last week when you tried to slash my sheets but I can't hate you."

"Fiona-"

"Eddie," Fiona's voice softened and the shakiness has disappeared. There's clear defeat in her teary eyes and he wanted so bad to look away but she held his gaze, kept him riveted on her every micro-expression. "Eddie, I've tried to hate you. But I can't. The more I try to hate you, the less I want to."

"I don't want to hate you either," Eddie shook his head, making his way over to the bed. "Fiona, where is all this coming from? Why now?"

"Last week, when you tried to slash my bedsheets - " Fiona stared down at her hands, wringing them nervously in her lap. "When you left the room, I thought about what it would be like to have you as a boyfriend. To think about you, the same way I used to think about Nigel."

"So you want me to be your...?" He trailed off, unable to believe what she's telling him.

"I'm tired of pretending that I hate you. I don't. I used too but kissing can do a lot to change a person's mind." She sounded tired but not in a physical way but just emotionally drained. "I don't hate you, not like I used too. I want to resent that about you but I just can't do it."

"Fiona," Eddie sighed, sitting down on the bed beside her. "I can't hate you anymore. I never could hate you completely, there was something about you that I just couldn't hate."

"It's not just that I can't, it's that I don't want to hate you anymore." Fiona told him softly, "I'm tired of playing games, Eddie."

"Me too," Eddie agreed, nodding her head. "But I don't want to take advantage of you. I'm not going to do that to you. You just broke up with Nigel. I'm not going to take advantage of you or be a rebound."

"You won't," Fiona shook her head. "I won't let that happen. So...where do we go from here?"

"Well I know where I'd like to go." Eddie smiled suggestively, chuckling at her when she looked at him like he had grown two heads. "To sleep, Fiona. I'm exhausted. You can stay in here if you want."

"I'd like that." Fiona smiled and she's not sure why but the smile only widened when he stood up and like a gentleman, helps her in the bed.

When he crawls in the bed beside her, she doesn't feel at all weird about scooting over closer to him and snuggling into his chest. The scent of his cologne mixing with the musky scent of sweat lulls her into a sleepy haze. When his arms slide around her small body and his face nuzzles into the top of her head, she lets her eyes slide closed but the satisfied and genuinely happy smile remains on her face.

Her maybe one day had turned into a definitely.

* * *

><p><strong>Finally! My goodness! It took me three hours to get this last chapter the way I wanted it. I wanted to end it with the whole idea of Fiona's maybe one day becoming a definitely. I know this seems...gloppy...but after a couple of steamy hot makeout sessions with him - she just can't hate him anymore. They can't hate each other and they can't ignore what those steaming hot makeout sessions brought to the surface. <strong>

**To my dear Niagaraweasel and Cedricsowner, I really hope you enjoy the way this wrapped up! **

**Leave me some love Dolls!**

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	4. Finding Strength

She was incredibly comfortable, wrapped in a cocoon of sheets, undoubtedly warmed by body heat, face half-buried in a fitted sheet covered mattress that smelled like Eddie. It's a warm, spicy-scented cocoon that renders her incapable of moving - okay so she's perfectly capable of moving but she was in a bed that smelled like the very sexy, Eddie Arlette, moving had long ago been taken off of her list of things she had to do that day.

There's a faint ringing sound in the background and it takes her a few seconds of reluctantly returning to reality to realize that it's the phone ringing and she must get out of bed. Her hazel eyes snapped open as the ringing grew more incessant. Blowing the stray hair out of her face, she slowly sat up and started out of bed pushing the light blue bed sheets...wait, light blue bed sheets? She had white bed sheets on her bed. Cool, crisp white bed sheets that smelled like lavender fabric softener.

She looked around slowly - the disorientation leaving as the puzzle pieces fit together.

Blue bedsheets. Spicy cologne. The map with match books pinned on the wall. This was not her room...oh dear God!

She had spent the night in Eddie's room. She listened to the phone stop ringing and the answering machine kick in, before the caller hung up and apparently tried again because the incessant ring returned and she was jumped out of the bed.

Did she even want to know how she had ended up in Eddie's bed?

"I'm coming," Fiona grumbled as she stumbled into the living room to pick up the phone. "Hello?"

"Fiona?" Pippin's usually chipper voice was solemn and vulnerable. He sounded like a scared little boy when he said her name and she couldn't help but panic at whatever he had called for.

"Pippin?" Fiona questioned, keeping her voice calm and steady - even though her heart was currently dropping into her stomach. "What's wrong? Has something happened?"

"It's Eddie..." Pippin's voice cracked and the shaky guilt in it was unmistakable. "We got a tip from an unidentified source that the men we've been hunting was at a...he just went into it alone..no back up. Told me to wait in the car."

"Went into what Pippin? What did Eddie do?" Fiona begged him to get the rest of the story out. "Please Pippin?"

"He went into an abandoned warehouse that had been turned into a meth lab - he went alone. They got him, Fiona." Pippin explained, "I couldn't stop him and they beat him...he looks like hell and then shot him...in the arm. He's at the hospital."

"I'm on my way," Fiona told him, rushing up the stairs

Less than five minutes later, Fiona rushed out of the door in a pair of sweats, a ratty old tank top and a sweater. Eddie was in the hospital so that's where she would be until he was okay again.

For what felt like the hundreth time, Fiona fidgeted in the hospital chair, vainly trying to find a position that was halfway comfortable for more than just a few minutes. She had lost track of how long she had been sitting beside Eddie's bed, since Pippin had called to tell her that Eddie had been injured on their latest case.

When she had stepped through the door of the hospital room, she had felt as if her heart was plummeting like a stone kicked over the edge of an abyss. Eddie looked as if he had been dragged through hell and back, covered in bruises and wrapped in bandages hiding injuries she wasn't sure she even wanted to know about. He seemed incredibly young and vulnerable, far too still and far too pale. Watching him, Fiona wasn't sure what she felt. One moment she wanted to run screaming for the hills at the thought of more of this waiting for her if she continued dating a cop – specifically this cop- , the next moment she felt a protectiveness so fierce that even the nurses had taken one look at her, told her it might take hours before Eddie would wake up and then left her where she was even though visiting hours had to be long over. Fiona was certain that no matter how hard she tried, she could not get back to hating Eddie. What she was a lot less certain about was whether whatever had replaced it would be strong enough to face the possibility of having to spend more nights like this.

Eddie's mind hovered in a grey fog somewhere between sleep and wakefulness; scared to go back to sleep because of the disjointed nightmarish flashes of memory waiting in the black – memories of being trapped, a gun, a muzzle flash more imagined than actually seen, of searing pain and falling, of cold and darkness and a heartless laugh like that of the devil himself -, but equally scared of waking up to find out that the nightmare was real, of waking up to the reality of pain.

But something seemed to be calling for him to wake up. Something that was like a very faint voice from very far away, more felt than heard, but irresistibly pulling him out of the grey fog. The simple act of trying to open his eyes seemed like an insurmountable task, but eventually he made it, even managing to blink to try and clear his bleary, fuzzy vision. Soft, barely there light, medicinal smells… a hospital. So the nightmare was not real – and neither was the pain, at least for the moment. Eddie knew enough to not attempt more than just the barest movements. A hospital meant pain killers, but even they wouldn't be able to block all of it if he decided to move too much or too quickly. Slowly, very slowly he turned his head to where he felt someone close by, not sure who he was expecting.

When his eyes finally fell on the person sitting beside his bed, he couldn't believe what he saw… a small slender figure with blonde hair in an untidy ponytail, hazel eyes with an indefinable look that melted his heart and banished the nightmares back where they belonged.

"Fiona." The single word was almost unintelligible, his voice hoarse and croaking, fogged by whatever the hospital staff had pumped into his body, but somehow she seemed to have heard – and understood. In a flash she was at his side, one warm soft hand wrapping around his cold fingers, while the other soothingly stroked his hair. He swallowed a few times to get a few more words out.

"Don't go away."

In that instant Fiona knew with absolute certainty that she would be strong enough to face whatever might develop between them – with all the consequences that came with it.

"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere."

With a contented little sigh, Eddie let himself drift back to sleep.

* * *

><p><strong>To give credit where credit is due, my dear friend and sounding board, Niagaraweasel wrote half of this - the better half, I like to call it because really it's much better than anything I could have done! I had no idea what to do until she wrote the hospital scenes and sent them to me. I didn't touch them I just wrote out the phone call that Fiona gets. Leave us some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. I watched The Soloist tonight - got the DVD for Christmas - and let me tell you...I was moved to tears by it! It's incredible! **


	5. Coming Home

_Two Weeks Later..._

Fiona blew out a breath, forcing her hair away from her face as she tugged the white cotton fitted sheet over the corner of the mattress. She tucked it under the mattress before reaching for the soft blue sheet and straightening it over the bed. The white and dark blue quilted down comforter followed along with the pillows, tucked into white pillowcases. Eddie was being released from the hospital later that afternoon and she wanted to make sure he'd be comfortable. She had already cleaned his room and his old sheets were currently in the washer. A bag with clothes for him to wear home was waiting in the corner of the room and her car keys were on his nightstand along with her cell phone.

The extent of his injuries hadn't been explained in great detail but she did know that the bullet wound and shoulder injury would leave him with restricted use of his left arm. His bruised and battered torso would make breathing, showering and just moving in general pretty difficult. From what the doctor had reluctantly told her - apparently there was patient confidentiality and family thing at the hospital - whatever had gone on in that abandoned warehouse had almost killed him. He'd have to be careful and not move around too much until everything healed.

She had just finished pulling the covers back and folding one corner up to make it easier for him to slip under the covers when her cell ringing and vibrating across his nightstand made her groan and reluctantly reach for the noisy device.

"Pippin," She answered breathlessly, "I'm on my way."

"I'm not Pippin," Eddie's hoarse laugh resonated on the other end of the line. "Didn't you check your caller I.D.?"

"No, but I assumed you were Pippin because he's called me twenty times already to see if I needed anything." Fiona told him in playful exasperation, "He tires me."

"Yea, me too." Eddie laughed softly, "So you're on your way."

"I've got to stop by and pick up Pippin but yes, I'm on my way." Fiona told him. "I can't get you into the car on my own."

"And you think Pippin can?" Eddie joked laughing slightly but his laughing trailed off and the line went silent before his soft voice, hoarse with an emotion she couldn't quite place, filled her ears. "I know that you refused to leave the room..the doctor told me...said I had a very stubborn wife. Thank you, Fiona."

"You scared me," Fiona admitted in a rare moment of vulnerability, trying desperately to hold back the tears in her eyes. "You really scared me, Eddie. You can't do this again. I can't handle this again."

"I know, Pippin's already given me that lecture. So has Superintendant." Eddie acknowledged, "I'm sorry that I scared you. That was never my intent."

"You were only doing your job," Fiona whispered, wiping the tears away. "Next time, just give Pippin time to call back-up before you rush in and Scotland Yard is forced to rush in after you to keep someone from killing you."

"I will," Eddie reassured her, "Now, the doctor's here with my discharge papers so I suggest you hurry."

"I'll be there in twenty." Fiona giggled, "Oh and Eddie?"

"Yea?"

"I'm glad you're okay," Fiona told him softly.

"Me too." Fiona could practically hear his smile over the phone, "I'll see you soon."

"Bye Eddie."

"Bye Fiona."

xxx

Monty Pippin was not an idiot - for the most part. He considered himself to be a good Inspector, although his superintendant might disagree with that particular sentiment. Having said that, with being an Inspector came the ability to read people quite well. Observing their body language proved to be the most effective way to read their emotions. Fiona Bickerton was nervous - and yet, there was an excitement simmering beneath the surface. The fidgety way she held the steering wheel, the slump of her shoulders and the way she kept moving a piece of hair out of her eyes that wasn't there, spoke her nervousness. Yet, he could also see the excitement in her eyes and the smile that threatened to overcome her everytime Eddie's name was mentioned.

"Here we are," Fiona smiled, pulling the car up by the door and putting into park. "Wait here, I'll go get him."

Pippin nodded while Fiona practically dashed out of the car, Eddie's bag in hand and sprinted into the hospital. He always told them they'd have great looking kids and he was praying to the powers that be, that they actually survived each other long enough to have those kids. At the rate those two fought, it would be a miracle if they didn't break up at least once a month.

"Eddie?" Fiona poked her head through the door.

"C'mon in, I don't bite," Eddie motioned her in, grinning a cheeky grin as he added. "Very hard."

"Bite your tongue, Eddie." Fiona giggled, closing the door behind her as she walked in and set the bag down on the bed. "So is everything in order?"

"Signed my discharge papers and I'm hoping those are my clothes in that bag." Eddie motioned to the bag she had just set on the bed.

"Yes," Fiona nodded, "I brought you a pair of sweats and a t-shirt for the trip home."

"Anything but an over-sized piece of paper with sleeves." Eddie joked, looking over at her. "So care to help me up?"

"I'm not going to be turning you into an exhibitionist am I?" Fiona laughed as she got up to help him out of the bed.

"I'm covered," Eddie laughed as he pushed the blankets off him. "Unless the sight of legs disgusts you, then I'm going to have to question how in the hell you have - ?"

"So you're fully covered, then?" Fiona cut him off, reaching for his uninjured arm. "Pippin's waiting in the car."

An amused smile pulled at his lips as she helped him out of the bed and into the bathroom, grabbing the bag of clothes for him along the way. By the time they reached the bathroom, Fiona had developed a new appreciation for paper gowns that only had one tie in the back. Eddie, on the other hand, was still not so thrilled with over-sized piece of paper with sleeves. Of course this had resulted in a lot of grumbling on his part when Fiona just started giggling while leading him into the bathroom. It wasn't her fault really - the man did have a shapely rear and those paper gowns had provided her with an ample opportunity to enjoy it - even though he was wearing a pair of boxers.

"Okay," Eddie emerged from the hospital bathroom a few minutes later wearing a pair of black sweats and a gray t-shirt. "I'm ready."

"You have to take a wheelchair out, hospital policy." A nurse came through the door pushing a wheelchair.

Eddie grumbled and for a second there, Fiona thought he might start whining like a cranky toddler in need of a nap but eventually he gave up and sat down in the chair. Once Fiona had convinced the reluctant and slightly petulant nurse to let her push Eddie out, they started out of the hospital. Although with Fiona pushing him, it was more like one hand actually pushing the wheelchair and the other hand rubbing his shoulder - which he would be quick to admit felt pretty good.

"Here we are, Eddie." Fiona smiled as she stopped the wheelchair by the car and Pippin got out to help Eddie into the passenger seat.

The process of actually getting a battered and bruised Eddie into the car did not come without a few irritated growls of pained protest on Eddie's part, a few grumblings of Pippin's own misery and a flood of guilty tears on Fiona's part for causing him so much pain everytime she touched a tender part of his body - which was basically every part. Finally after a few more tears, a lot more pain and Fiona's frustrated grumble of, "Shut up, Pippin!", Eddie was in the car and headed home.

* * *

><p><strong>Niagaraweasel, this is part one of me spinning your mother-hen idea. In order for her to play mother-hen to Eddie, I had to get him home which turned into this. Hope you enjoyed it! <strong>

**Leave me some love, Dolls**

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	6. Mother Hen

The ride home was uneventful, unless you count Eddie's groans of pain everytime the car hit a bump in the road and Pippin's commiserating grumbling from the backseat about not being able to drive. Between Eddie being in pain and Pippin grumbling the entire time about the way she drove, Fiona was nervous and near tears by the time she pulled up to the flat she shared with Eddie. She shoved the gearshift into park and turned the key before yanking it out of the ignition and storming out of the car. Pippin sighed softly as he got out of the car and moved around to help Eddie into the flat.

Just as getting him in had been, getting him out of the car proved to be a painful and this time, expletive filled process. By the time Eddie was actually out of the car, neither were sure who muttered the most but both were positive, they had said more than necessary. Fiona had the door open and was busying herself in the kitchen when they managed to make it in the flat. It didn't take a genius to figure out that she had only busied herself to keep the tears at bay and calm her frazzled nerves.

"Holy Mother of-" "Oh Dear-" "Sweet Merciful-"

The broken fragments of what were either very dirty expletives or just the only phrases he could think of to keep himself from saying very dirty expletives, reached Fiona's ears until Eddie made it to his room. He was still hoarse for whatever reason so everytime he said something his voice was crack and go up a few octaves, only serving to make the broken expletives more amusing to both Fiona and Pippin, who had come out of Eddie's room, wheezing from silent laughter.

Once she had managed to get rid of Pippin - for which she was unbelievably thankful because he was really grating her nerves for some reason - she went to check on Eddie. She poked her head in the door and found him propped up by pillows, reading a book. When he heard the door open, he looked up and motioned her in.

"Are you okay?" Fiona asked him, carefully perching herself on the edge of the bed. "Do you need anything?"

"Aside from these stitches out of my arm and the pain to go away, I'm fine." Eddie chuckled humorlessly, "I'm good. Food doesn't sound very good right now and I've had more pain medicine than I ever thought I'd need."

"Eddie," Fiona's voice was cautious and she was very well aware that she was about to go down a slippery slope. "Eddie, will you tell me what happened?"

"What happened?" Eddie looked up at her confused. "What happened when, Fiona?"

"The night you got hurt," Fiona told him softly.

"Fiona, I'm not sure you wanna..." Eddie trailed off, obviously wanting to talk about it but not with her.

"You don't have to protect me, Eddie." Fiona told him, reaching for his good hand. "I'm a big girl, I can handle it."

"Okay," Eddie conceded with a sigh and took a deep breath before starting his rehashing of the events that had transpired the night he wound up in the hospital. "Pippin called me right after you fell asleep - said something about having a lead and a big break in that case that we'd been working on for weeks."

"The one with the drugs?" Fiona questioned softly.

"Yea," Eddie nodded, trying to keep himself from getting too caught up in the painful memories of that night. "I didn't want too...I wanted to leave it 'till morning...but Pippin insisted we jump on it so I left. I left you in my bed and went to see what the big break was. It was a call from an anonymous source tipping us off to an abandoned warehouse on a corner that wasn't as abandoned as we'd been led to believe - and it wasn't inhabited by rats either. Anyway, we went to the warehouse..."

"What happened from there, Eddie?" Fiona prodded a bit more.

"We sat in the car for an hour waiting for backup before I finally got fed up and told Pippin to wait there, I'd bust them on my own if I had too." Eddie told her, almost apologetically. "I went in but they heard me coming - the pavement was wet and not splashing through puddles was nearly impossible. When I got in, they ambushed me..."

"Stop." Fiona whispered unable to listen to anymore. "Stop!"

"I'm sorry. I should have waited for back-up." Eddie murmured.

"But you didn't and you can't change that now." Fiona told him softly, squeezing his hand. "So we'll get through this together...no matter what it takes."

xxx

Eddie Arlette was almost positive he was about to lose his mind. It had been a few hours since he had told her what happened that night and since then, she had gone into full on mother-hen mode with no end in sight. She had re-cleaned his already spotless room - the windows now glittered in the sunlight, something he never knew glass could do. She had cooked for him; he honestly didn't know vegetarian food could taste good. She had asked him three times in as many hours if he was okay and if he needed anything, something to which his response had become very exasperasted and unenthused.

He was almost positive that if she could shower and go to the bathroom for him, she'd probably do it. Although that shoulder rub after his first dose of doctor prescribed pain medication had been well worth dealing with Fiona's mother-hen mode. She had been buzzing all through the flat, doing random, various things that probably didn't need to be done immediately. The TV had been moved up to his room, extra books had been stored in his closet for retrieval at his request and his personal favorite - a bell on his nightstand. He had, had a lot of fun with that particular object and could have a lot more fun in the future - if Fiona didn't bash him over the head with it first.

"Fiona," Eddie sighed in exasperation when she stormed into his room a fourth time. "I told you I'm fine. I don't need anything."

"That's good but that's not what I'm in here for," Fiona told him, walking over to his bed and dropping a thick file in his lap. "Pippin dropped this off, said you needed to look over it."

The warbled groan that ripped from his throat made her giggle. Her giggle made him look up at her and he couldn't help but notice how different she was right now then she was the day they met. She wasn't wearing anything more than a pair of sweats and a t-shirt with her hair up in an untidy ponytail, with a few tendrils of short blonde hair falling around her face, framing her hazel eyes. She looked relaxed and not at all the mother-hen she had been all day.

"Fiona," Eddie chuckled reaching for her arm. "C'mere."

"What's wrong? Do you need something?" Fiona immediately jumped back into mother-hen mode.

"No," Eddie laughed, shaking his head. "Just c'mere."

She reluctantly moved closer to him and sat down beside him on the bed, "What? I've got a lot to do."

Eddie laughed as he tugged her closer, "No. All you've got to do is get in this bed and stay with me until I feel better."

"But Eddie-"

"Fiona, I've been home for four hours and I've barely seen you for more than five minutes." Eddie told her softly, "Now I appreciate everything you're doing but you're driving yourself crazy and I'm losing my mind a little too. You can take care of me tomorrow, for now, can you just get in this bed and take a break so I can see you for more than the fifteen seconds you take to pop your head in the door?"

By that point, she knew that one look into those beautiful baby blues of his and she'd be a goner. She smiled as she kicked her shoes off and carefully climbed over him. She settled into the beside him and lightly rested her head on his good shoulder.

"I like this Fiona," Eddie murmured softly, kissing her head. "Much more relaxed."

"I just..." Fiona sighed softly, nuzzling into his t-shirt. "I just want to make sure you're okay."

"And that's fine, but, you've also got to give yourself a break." Eddie told her softly, grinning wryly as he added, "Although I do like the bell, mother-hen."

"Eddie!" Fiona scolded playfully.

"What? It came in handy," Eddie shrugged in a 'what-did-you-expect-me-to-say' gesture. "Especially when you were - "

"You can stop now." Fiona cut him off with an embarrassed giggle.

The playful grin on his face made her giggle even more and if he hadn't of suffered so much pain when he laughed, he would probably be doubled over in laughter. Instead he was content to just enjoy the sound of her giggling. For now, he'd enjoy the fact that he was alive and that he had his very own mother-hen to take better care of him than anyone ever had before.

He'd worry about the rest some other time.

* * *

><p><strong>Niagaraweasel, these last two chapters have been for you! I hope you enjoyed them - oh and the little fantasy that probably came with Eddie being stuck in bed. The unholy things I could think of to do to that man...um anyway, I really hoped you liked them!<strong>

**Leave me some love Dolls!**

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	7. Of Bobby Pins and a First Date

"Eddie, are you sure you're up to this?"

Eddie smiled wryly at her in the mirror, grasping the zipper of her little black dress firmly and pulling it up in one fluid motion. It had been his idea to take her out to a fancy vegetarian restaurant, even though it had only been a week since the doctor had given him a clean bill of health. He jerked the zipper into place and placed his hands on her shoulders, "If I wasn't sure, I wouldn't be doing it."

Fiona scoffed and shot him a skeptical look; one that clearly said she wasn't buying it. He just shrugged and let go of her, watching as she tilted back on the tip of her stiletto heel and turned to face him. Her soft blonde hair was curled and piled on top of her head in an updo that was more for convenience than it was for looks. Her black silk dress hugged her in all of the right places and her hazel eyes shimmered in the soft light, accentuated by her make-up.

"You look amazing, Fiona." Eddie told her, almost tenderly. "I feel underdressed."

In no way did he look underdressed though. He was making her salivate in a delicious dark blue shirt with dark charcoal pants and the matching jacket. She could just see the collar of one of the soft white t-shirts he had a penchant for, peeking out of his dress shirt. The charcoal suit and dark blue shirt was all clean lines and practically set his wonderful ocean water eyes ablaze with a darker, stormy blue. The electricity in the blue reminded her of the jagged streaks of electricity that lit up the sky during a thunderstorm.

"You clean up nice, Eddie, don't kid yourself." Fiona scolded gently, playfully slapping his chest with the back of her hand.

"Well then," He grinned slyly and held out his arm for her. "Shall we?"

She linked her arm with his and let him lead her out to the car. He opened the passenger side door for her, and like the gentleman he was being, graciously let her hold his arm until she was safely inside the car and her seatbelt was pulled across her chest. Fiona couldn't say that she wasn't a little bit surprised. She had always known that Eddie could be tender and caring with a woman, she just hadn't known she qualified as one of the woman he would be that way with. Before a couple of weeks ago, she wasn't even sure she qualified as a woman in the eyes of the sexy New York detective.

"You know," Eddie's voice reminded her of heated honey - thick, sweet and warm. "You really do look beautiful tonight, Fiona."

"Thank you, Eddie." Fiona's own voice was soft and she only hoped the insecurity she was feeling about their date wasn't reflected in her small voice.

"Fiona," Eddie looked over at her as he kept one hand on the steering wheel and reached for one of her hands with the other. "My cell phone is at home. I made Pippin promise to take someone else if a case came up. No matter how this night turns out, I'm not going anywhere. My night will be spent with you and you alone."

"You're sure about that?" Fiona's confidence was returning as she looked over at him with shimmering hazel eyes and a playful smile.

"Well I have high hopes for the evening," Eddie shrugged, lacing their fingers together. "I'm hoping this restaurant will win me some brownie points."

Fiona giggled and squeezed his hand, "It does."

The vegetarian restaurant had been one Fiona had mentioned in passing during one of their many conversations in his bed during his recovery process. She had mentioned it being the only semi-formal vegan restaurant in the area and that it was one of her favorites. The minute he had been given a clean bill of health, he had called and made a reservation for the soonest possible date. He asked her after the reservations were made - as if guaranteeing that she would say yes.

"Here we are," Eddie smiled as he pulled over and put the car in park in front of the restaurant. "You'll help me with this, right? I don't usually go to vegetarian restaurants."

"Just avoid tofu," Fiona told him as they got out of the car and walked up to the door. "My personal favorite is the pasta with vegetables."

"Avoid tofu. Eat pasta and vegetables." Eddie noted aloud, holding open the door to the restaurant for her. "Easy enough."

"Don't worry, I know what dish you'll like. I've had it before." Fiona patted his cheek affectionately.

"Arlette, reservations for two."

xxx

Dinner was filled with delightful conversation, witty banter and joyous laughs. It was a rather stark contrast to the last few weeks, when dinner had mostly consisted of Eddie groaning his way through the meal and swallowing a pain pill when he was finished. A few people in the restaurant had stopped to ask them how long they had been together, as they had noticed how easily the conversation seemed to flow between them and how easily they settled into a witty banter.

He covered the bill with his credit card and helped Fiona out of her chair before wrapping his arm around her waist. He squeezed her hip as they made their way out of the restaurant, walking right by their waiter for the evening - who hadn't been shy in expressing his appreciation for Fiona's "fine female form" - to which Eddie had, oh-so-graciously, told him that Fiona was taken and if he had a problem with it, then Eddie would be happy to clear up his little problem for him.

"Don't be jealous, Eddie." Fiona murmured in his ear as he opened the door and let her walk in front of him. "He does that to every woman. I've watched him do it before to three different women on the same night."

"Real piece of work," Eddie grumbled softly, before sighing and straightening up. "I'm sorry, I'm ruining it."

"Actually, you're kind of hot when you're jealous." Fiona grinned up at him.

Eddie just laughed and opened the car door for her once again. He waited until she was in the car before closing the door and moving around to the driver's side. The ride home was spent in comfortable silence - and with one of Eddie's hands in her lap, sandwiched between her own hands because she couldn't get over the feeling that he was going to get called away and possibly end up in the hospital again. Even with Eddie's silent reassurances that he wasn't going anywhere, she couldn't shake that feeling.

"So..." Fiona started awkwardly, feeling a little bit weird to be dating the man she lived with - made it quite difficult to figure out how to end the night.

"Can I just cut right to the chase?" Eddie asked her softly.

"Yes," Fiona wasn't quite sure what he meant but he was leaning closer and she was garnering a pretty good idea.

"Good."

Fiona moaned and melted into him when his lips met hers. He tasted of sweet red wine, chocolate and coffee. Her fingers tangled in his neatly combed blonde hair and she could feel his fingers buried in her own blonde hair. His lips were soft and the rasp of his tongue sliding over her bottom lip made her sigh. Never before had a kiss been quite as Heavenly. Sweet Mother of Mary, this was an other-worldly kind of wonderful.

"Eddie," Fiona rasped when oxygen became a necessity and they were forced to part for air.

Eddie chuckled as he leaned his forehead against hers. "You okay?"

"More," She was breathless still but she pulled him in for more, needing more of him. "I need more,"

"Let's get in the house." Eddie chuckled, pulling the keys out of his pocket.

He unlocked the door and led her into the flat, turning a light on so that they could see. He closed and locked the door before turning back to Fiona, who had kicked her shoes off and was now working on removing the massive amount of bobby pins that held her hair up. He caught her eye and grinned when she blushed. She had just pulled the last bobby pin out of her hair when he caught her by the waist and lowered his mouth to hers; "Now where were we?"

The handful of bobby pins slipped from her hands and skittered across the hard wood floor of the foyer as he caught her in a soft kiss. Her arms slid around his neck as he pulled her tight against the hard, warmth of his body. They stumbled to his bedroom, lips still attached and arms wrapped tightly around one another.

The light brown bobby pins lay scattered and forgotten on the hardwood floor.

* * *

><p><strong>To my dears, Niagaraweasel, Veneceit and Cedricsowner, I haven't forgotten about this story, I promise! I just sadly lacked inspiration for writing these past couple of weeks but I'm back! I'm no longer lacking inspiration and the plot bunnies are back and fluffier than ever! <strong>

***Insert British Accent* "I don't own a thing, not even that fine gentleman, Mark Valley." **

**And that is how I would do a disclaimer if I was British. I'm not though. I can't even do an accent. I'm 100% Southern. Actually I'm Texan so we might be considered a little more Southwestern than Southern, but either way, my sister jokes that my British accent is more like that of a Southern Belle and we both insist that if we did have real British accents, we'd never shut up. I find it odd that I can't do a British accent but one of my favorite movies is about a Brit. Sherlock Holmes is British and while Robert Downey Jr. is not, he certainly sounds like a geniuine Brit when he plays Sherlock Holmes. I can basically quote the whole movie just without the accent even though I've seen it thousands of times. **

**Ugh, rambling. Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls! **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	8. The Morning After

Eddie Arlette was, to put it mildly, confused. Call it exhaustion - and sweet mother of God, last night had left them both exhausted - if you will, but he simply can't make sense of anything. He remembers stumbling into his room and doing, rather unmentionable things with and, ahem, _to _Fiona but everything after that is a bit of a blur. Like why, in the name of all that is good, he can't seem to find his shirt, or shirts rather? He distinctly remembered Fiona unbuttoning it in a fevered rush. Now what had come of the stupid things?

"Eddie?" A dark blue cotton clad arm slid out from under the covers immediately followed by a mass of tangled blonde curls and hazel eyes, staring up into his own ocean water eyes. "What happened last night?"

"Too much wine," Eddie deadpanned with a dry chuckle. "Entirely too much wine. Followed by things that are better off not mentioned."

Her blonde eyebrows furrowed in confusion until realization dawned on her. Well at least she knew now that she hadn't been dreaming about the things Eddie had done to her. That had been real, which is why she felt so intensely satisfied and incredibly exhausted. With a sharp groan, she burrowed under the pillow and buried her face in his mattress. "Exactly how much did we drink last night?"

"You don't wanna know," Eddie eased himself up off of the bed and looked around the room through narrowed eyes - who had turned on the damn sun? "Judging by my room, I'd say at least one bottle of wine."

Fiona rolled over on her back and reached up to lift the pillow off of her face. "Eddie," she tossed the pillow at his back and sat up, pulling the sheets up to cover herself. "Your room is always a mess."

"No messier than your closet." Eddie retorted turning to look at the women in his bed.

"Look at your part of the bathroom." Fiona countered closing her eyes against the sun for a brief moment before pinning him with a look of disdain and continuing. "Your toothpaste is globbed onto the sink - permanently."

"Your shampoo is all over everything in the shower." Eddie told her pointedly.

"Your room is still a mess."

"And so is your closet."

"We're going in circles." Fiona cried in exasperation, throwing her hands up - probably not the best idea, given she was only wearing a sheet.

Eddie laughed as he walked over to the bed and grabbed one of her hands. "C'mon, let's go eat breakfast."

Fiona nodded and crawled out of the bed, reluctant to leave the comfortable warmth that Eddie's bed offered. Neither said a word as they made their way into the kitchen. Her bobby pins still lay scattered in foyer and she can't help blush when she sees the mess on her way to the kitchen. Silence enveloped them as they milled around the kitchen gathering bowls and spoons. The cereal was set on the table, the carton of milk was retrieved from the fridge - only one carton because her vegetarian version of milk wasn't half bad.

"You're using all of the milk," Fiona griped petulantly, watching him pour the milk into his bowl.

He paused, tipping the carton back up and setting it on the table beside his bowl. He looked up at her with raised eyebrows. "Seriously? The morning after we do..well...um..._that _and all you can think to say is that my room is a mess, my toothpaste is globbed on the sink." He paused for a moment and tilted his head, his lips curled into a teasing grin. "Globbed is not a word by the way and that I'm using all of the milk? Is this how all of our morning after conversations are going to go?"

"Well I'm simply stating facts."

"No you're tryin' to avoid the inevitable." Eddie grinned at her. "Now Fiona, if you don't want to talk about it right now that's fine, I understand, I have a hangover too but we do have to talk about it eventually."

"Talk about what?" Fiona asked him innocently.

"I deal with some of London's finest idiots, if you think I'm not immune to that innocent act than you're a little naive." Eddie chuckled, handing her the carton of milk. "You'll find there's more than enough for you to enjoy your daily serving of tasteless cardboard in a bowl."

"Says the one with the sugar coated cardboard." Fiona retorted, pouring the milk over her cereal.

"I'd rather it be sugar-coated than flavorless." Eddie told her, his tone resembling that of a petulant teenager.

They're both blowing smoke and they know it. They're dancing around the fact that sooner or later they have to talk about it by bickering over petty little things that normally wouldn't be that big of a deal. It's easier to stick to a familiar routine and keep up that emotional barrier than to break that barrier and discover that their familiar routine could give way to something better than what they have. They both know that talking was inevitable and they'll both be forced to give up sooner or later - the latter was the preferred choice for now.

"Eddie?"

His spoon dropped back into his cereal and he looked up from his bowl to meet her soft hazel eyes. He couldn't help but wonder if she would consider a repeat performance of last night's events. It had been pretty spectactular and she looked amazingly sexy sitting in a kitchen chair wrapped up in his sheet with tousled waves and sleepy eyes. His voice was hoarse as he muttered a soft, "What?"

"I don't hate you, you know." Fiona finally admitted, pulling her knees up to her chest.

"I certainly hope not, otherwise last night would have been a big mistake." Eddie told her softly. "I don't hate you either."

"If I had hated you, last night wouldn't have happened." Fiona argued with him. "I just don't know how I feel about...not hating you."

"I don't know about...you know, not hating you, either." Eddie shrugged as he stood up and gathered up the dirty dishes, dropping them in the sink. "I've never been in a situation quite like this before."

"There's the age difference, too." Fiona pointed out, standing up. "I mean we're not that close in age."

"You're twenty-four, a consenting adult." Eddie turned to her, placing strong hands on her shoulders. "We're not doing anything wrong here Fiona. We're two adults figuring out how we feel about one another...and having fun with it in the process."

"I just don't want to go to fast with the whole figuring stuff out thing." Fiona looked up at him. "I don't want this to crash and burn, Eddie."

"It's not going to, Fiona. We'll make sure of it." Eddie reassured her. "But we can't move too slow otherwise we're just friends with benefits, we're not actually dating."

"No. I'm not doing friends with benefits." Fiona's voice was a little more high-pitched than usual and her obvious jealousy was quite amusing to Eddie. "Because that would mean other women get to see what I saw last night and that isn't going to happen."

Eddie laughed as he pulled her into him, wrapping his arms around her as he buried his face in her tousled hair. He kissed her head as he murmured, "You're cute when you're jealous."

It's only when they're stumbling back to his room, attached at the lip, does realization dawn. Slow may not necessarily work for their relationship. And when the buttons pop off of his shirt, joining her bobby pins on the floor, all thoughts of their relationship going slow fly out of the window. They don't know what will happen but they both know that what's happening between them right now is pretty amazing and they're both content to just enjoy it.

No matter how long it lasts.

* * *

><p><strong>So that wasn't the original ending I had planned but it fit a little better than my original so that's what I went with. So my dear friend, Niagaraweasel, pointed out that while sweet and sappy is wonderful, it can also be a bit too sugary and not something that necessarily fits Eddie and Fiona. Gloppy doesn't work all the time and while it's great for a first date, beyond that, I had to take Eddie and Fiona back to something familiar for them - bickering. I also wanted to play into the idea that Eddie and Fiona used bickering and hating each other to dance around the fact that they'd have to admit they liked each other sometime. <strong>

**Anywho, leave me some love Dolls!**

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	9. Returning To Work

It had to happen sooner or later.

And she knew that. But she didn't have to like it. He was a detective, for crying out loud. He was needed to solve cases and do mountains of paperwork. He had to go back to work sometime. That, however, doesn't mean that Fiona was prepared for the separation anxiety that threatened to befall her while she watched him go through his morning routine of getting ready for work. She wasn't trying to be a petulant child but she was scared and worried. She doesn't want him to leave the house. Some time in the several weeks they'd spent together - him in bed, her taking care of him - she'd grown quite attached to having him around. Which was probably why she was currently sulking in a kitchen chair rather than just talking it out with him and dealing with it properly.

Always stubborn, she was.

"Fi-ona," Eddie drawled in exasperation, dropping his fork onto his plate and looking up at her. Any other time her usual pout-and-sulk routine would have made him melt, but after spending several weeks in the house, under her care, he'd have thought she'd be ready to be rid of him for a while during the day. Clearly not. He leaned back in his chair and chuckled quietly; "Fiona, I have to go back to work sometime."

"No, you don't!" Fiona protested, crossing her arms petulantly.

"And what, live off of you?" Eddie raised his eyesbrows. "Fiona, you knew this would happen."

"Why can't you just stay home for a couple more days?" Fiona asked him, still trying to win him over with the pout-and-sulk.

"Because _I'm_ ready to go back to work," Eddie told her, pushing his chair back from the kitchen table and standing up. He dropped his plate and coffee mug into the sink before turning back to her. "Fiona, you're just acting like a child."

"I am not." Fiona shook her head indignantly.

Eddie sighed and made his way over to her, leaning against the stable. "You're sitting at the table pouting because I have to go back to work when you know I'll be home in a couple of hours."

"I just..." Fiona uncrossed her arms and stood up. "Eddie, are you sure you're ready to go back to work?"

"Fiona, I'm going to stir-crazy without work." Eddie grabbed her shoulders and tugged her to him - he was now basically sitting on the table. This could be interesting. "Nothing's going to happen to me. I promise. I've been given strict orders to not enter abandoned buildings alone and Pippin may be an idiot at times but he's a good Inspector and a good shot, he won't let anything happen to me."

"If you're sure," Fiona nodded, "Sorry for pouting, Eddie."

"You don't get to apologize. You were right to worry. I promise, this case won't end with me in a hospital bed." Eddie told her, smiling cheekily as he added. "Unless you wanted to play nurse and find out what those controls are really capable of."

"Eddie!" Fiona slapped his shoulder, blushing furiously.

Eddie chuckled as he pulled her into him and kissed her forehead, "I have to go. Apparently returning to work after an injury requires forms be signed and Superintendant has to sign off on me carrying a weapon."

"Okay," Fiona nodded.

"I'll be back in a few hours." Eddie reassured her, kissing her quickly before grabbing his jacket and starting for the door. "Bye Fiona."

"Bye Eddie." Fiona sighed as she listened to the slam of the front door followed by the sound of a car engine.

It was going to be a long day...

xxx

"So," Pippin looked over at Eddie, letting his binoculars drop back onto his chest, where they were hanging by a strap. They had been staring at the same entrance for two hours now waiting on a man who obviously wasn't going to show, by now Pippin had figured it okay to start his interrogation. "Fiona okay with you being back at work?"

"Why wouldn't she be?" Eddie asked him, even as the memory of how petulant and worried Fiona had been that morning, lingered in the back of his mind.

"Well I figure since you two are dating now..." Pippin shrugged as if to say that he could have been wrong.

"Dating? What are we, in high school now Pippin?" Eddie asked him incredulously.

"What would you call it then?" Pippin asked him pointedly. "You've kissed, you went out on a date and I'm assuming you've..."

"Not that it's any of your business but me and Fiona have...you know..." Eddie trailed off, trying to keep specific pieces of information - mostly information about certain activities which had been unmentionably wild - from his partner.

"Already?" Pippin grinned at him, "That didn't take long."

"Pippin." Eddie sighed in exasperation. He paused for a moment as if gathering his thoughts, "On second thought, you're right. It didn't take long for that too happen."

"How many times has _it _happened?" Pippin asked him, raising his eyebrows curiously when he noticed Eddie's smug look. "That smug look can only cross the face of a man who has been satisfied more than once."

Eddie absently raked a hand through his hair as he mumbled a quick, "Twice."

"Twice, you've been..." Pippin's look was one of pure admiration and envy. "How in the world?"

"In our defense, we were trying to go slow." Eddie's protectiveness kicked in - or that might have been his defense tactic.

"And slow for you is going full speed ahead for the rest of us." Pippin told him, "I cannot believe you and Fiona have..."

"Don't say it like that." Eddie groaned, leaning his head back against the seat. "You make it sound like we're doing something wrong."

"You're not. I'm just surprised considering how much you claimed to hate her before." Pippin chuckled, "Then again, we men do have very carnal ways of releasing our frustrations when it comes to women."

"You make her sound like a piece of meat." Eddie glared at Pippin from the passenger seat. "And we didn't really hate each other that much."

"So all that bickering was just hiding what I already knew?" Pippin asked him, "That you wanted to have your way with each other?"

"Is that all you think about?" Eddie asked him, raising his eyebrows. "On second thought, keep your mouth shut. I don't want to know."

"No, you don't."

"Can we please get back to the case? I'm tired of talking about what may or may not be happening between me and Fiona." Eddie sighed, ready to change the subject, even if Pippin wasn't. "And no, just for the record, Fiona was not okay with me returning to work."

"I knew it..." Pippin trailed off as he picked up his binoculars and went back to surveillance only to drop them again and shove the car into gear. "Hold onto your hat, there he is."

xxx

"How was your first day back?" Fiona asked Eddie late that night, from her vantage point in his bed. She watched him move around the room as he shed his work clothes and traded them for comfortable clothes. "Pippin give you a hard time."

"Yes apparently, because we've already done _it _twice, we're already going full speed ahead." Eddie laughed as he pulled a black t-shirt over his head.

"Well it kind of is," Fiona laughed, reaching for the covers on his side of the bed and pulling them back as he crawled into bed. "Let's face it, I spend more nights in here than I do my own room, we've kissed numerous times, done it twice and have only been on one date."

"What do you say - " Eddie grinned sly as he rolled them over and reached down to unbutton the white dress shirt of his that she was using as a night shirt. "We go three for three and work on the rest some other time?"

"Sounds good to me." Fiona grinned as she pulled his t-shirt over his head and tossed it somewhere.

Yes, slow was full speed ahead for them but they had their foot on the accelerator and neither had given a second glance at putting the brakes on their relationship. They liked it just like it was. Full speed ahead was the only way their relationship had ever worked - even when they had hated each other. They had to go full speed ahead, even with the all to real risk of crashing and burning.

Plus, it wasn't like there weren't a few _fringe _benefits to going faster than most people.

You might even say, there were unmentionably wild and delicious benefits that could be reaped from taking their relationship faster than most.

* * *

><p><strong>So, chapter nine, just kind of wrote itself in like an hour. The next chapter, I'm going to explore the possibility of Eddie and Fiona fighting and discovering the joys of making up while Eddie deals with the stress of a case. Hope you enjoyed it! Leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	10. Fight

They had fought.

No. Correction. They hadn't just fought. They had screamed at each other - obscenities, too. The likes of which most sailors probably haven't heard. Needless to say the neighbors received a wake-up call. It was so far beyond a normal spat, that he wasn't entirely sure that they hadn't broken up in the process. The fight had involved the fact that he willingly put himself on the line on a daily basis and Fiona needing to get over it. At least, that was what he remembered. What it was actually about was lost on him before he even got out of the door. Their fights tended to evolve and mentally, he had checked out. He wasn't entirely sure returning home would bode well for his safety but on the other end of that spectrum, not returning him would leave him fearful for Fiona's safety and make things worse between them.

There was no escaping it.

For the sake of his sanity and for Fiona's safety - he was a cop, he was protective by nature - he had to man up, grow a set, and face the music. The long string of obscenities his brain conjured immediately after that resignation made everything him and Fiona had screamed at each other that morning, sound like pet names and goopy exclamations of love. Yes. It was, indeed, _that _bad.

You'd think, being the cop that he was, he'd realize that losing his train of thought while fighting with a suspect was a bad idea, of the royal and epic variety. He doesn't. It's this moment of vulnerability that allowed the suspect to land another punch to his stomach. His lungs deflate like balloons and he struggled to catch his breath. He blinked rather stupidly and his eyes widened, taking in his surrounding and alerting his Fiona-addled brain to his surroundings. His brain finally caught up and his fighter instinct kicked in. Being pummeled into the concrete because he was distracted by a stupid fight with his girlfriend, was not the way Eddie Arlette intended to go down.

A quick glance down and his reasonable deductive skills inform him of the suspect's previously injured knee - the guy clearly liked a good fight - and Eddie's heel crashed into the back of the suspect's knee, driving it until he heard a loud crack and the suspect hit the ground, emitting an inhuman keening sound that sounded like something akin to a dying animal. He dropped to the ground and pinned the suspect down with a knee between his shoulder blades, cuffing his hands behind his back.

Crap.

Lesson learned. When in the middle of a fight and the closure of your current case was dependant upon your victory, it was not the time to space out and recall with disturbing clarity, the fight you had with your girlfriend. Eddie Arlette would be taking this lesson, damn well learned, to heart. It was sufficiently painful enough that he would be remembering it for many cases to come. While he was pretty sure his abdoment would be painted a fantastically dark rainbow of blues and purples by the next day, he was more worried about how Fiona would react.

"You, alright?" Pippin shoved the cuffed, bruised, and possibly broken suspect into the back of the car. He tilted his head toward Eddie, staring at him in a way that clearly made the other man nervous. "What happened back there?"

"Just got a little distracted." Eddie shook his head, brushing his partner off. "Me and Fiona need to talk."

Pippin knew better than to ask questions. When it came to his partner's personal life, especially when it concerned Fiona Bickerton, it was always best not to ask or get involved in any way. Their relationship was far too complicated for any third party involvement, involuntary or not. He still hasn't gotten clarification on whether or not they were actually dating or just maintaining an enemies with benefits relationship. If that was the case, he knew how it would end. It was always easy until emotions got involved. Not that he knew from personal experience. Nope. Not at all. And it hadn't even involved the crazy red-head that lived three floors below him. Or her equally as crazy blonde best friend.

Whew.

That was one story, he wouldn't be recounting to his friends any time soon. He just hoped for the sake of Eddie and Fiona that it was a real relationship and not any sort of platonic with benefits, because he knew that if that was the case, their relationship would never be normal again.

"You know, I can finish this up on my own, if you'd rather I drop you off at home." Pippin nodded toward the beaten and far more placid suspect hunched over in the back seat, drooling into his knees. "I think you put him through enough, he won't try to fight anymore. I'll take you home."

"You sure?"

"Yeah." Pippin nodded, easing the car to a stop in front of the flat Eddie shared with Fiona. "Go."

Eddie rolled his eyes and glanced back and forth between the flat and his partner, exhaling heavily when the realization set in. "You planned this?"

"Yep." Pippin popped his lips, grinning smugly.

"Smug idiot," Eddie grumbled, getting out of the car and painfully limping into the flat, mumbling under his breath. "I'm gonna kill him later."

The car emitted a Banshee-like shriek and the tires smoke when Pippin jerked away from the curb and shot down the street at an alarming speed. Eddie just shook his head and opened the door. He needed a shower more than he needed to think about how close to death the suspect in the back seat would be by the time Pippin actually arrived at Scotland Yard. Like that night so many weeks ago, there was a ridiculous chick-flick playing in the living room. It would be stupid to disappear into his bathroom now. She was seething and if he dared to leave her like this in favor of licking his own wounds, she'd serve up the Arlette family jewels on a silver platter. Given his attachment to his _inheritance, _and to Fiona, he decided to suck it up and apologize.

"Fiona," Eddie has never felt so shy or stupid in his entire life but limping into the living room to make up with his girlfriend, who was the only person capable of making him do this in spite of his injuries, made him feel both. He hated it. She lay on the couch watching a chick-flick, either choosing to remain indifferent to his presence or give him the silent treatment, he wasn't quite sure yet. "Could we talk?"

"About what?" Fiona snarled, jamming her thumb against the power button on the remote to turn the TV off. She looked up at him and noticed his constant fidgeting, as if he was in pain. "What the bloody hell happened to you?"

"Suspect tried to fight." It probably wasn't a good idea to wince at that, nor was brushing it off a good idea but that's what he did. "Not a big deal."

"Looks like he won."

She grabbed his hand and pulled him to the bathroom, despite his initial protest. He hasn't even apologized yet and with his current predicament - injured and forced into a bathroom to be treated by a pissed off girlfriend - the opportunity wasn't likely to present itself. She pushed him down onto the toilet seat with a firm hand on his shoulder. Ouch! That hurt his bum. She had just begin cleaning the sticky, half-dried blood off of his lip with a hydrogen peroxide soaked cotton ball when he managed to find the words. "I'm sorry about this morning."

"What about it?" Fiona tossed the bloodied cotton into the trash and met his eyes. Scrutiny. Great. Just what she needed from him today of all days. It hadn't been a good day since their fight this morning and she really doesn't want to hash this out while he's sitting on the toilet being treated for injuries.

"I was jerk." Eddie sighed, watching her fumble with the first-aid kit, pulling things out and tossing them in the sink until she found what she was looking for and sticky antibiotic ointment was being dabbed on the split lip he was currently sporting. He'd already thanked the idiot that gave it to him. Repeatedly. And with his fists.

If she had been feeling the least bit angry, she might have found his apology pitiful but as it were, she was feeling sympathetic and caring. "Eddie," Fiona sighed, dropping the tube down onto the bathroom counter and slipping her arms around his shoulders. "I was being unreasonable." She settled further into his warm hold, feeling his hands in the small of her back, and rested her head on his shoulder. "I knew, even before you got shot that there was a chance of this job killing you. Call it separation anxiety or whatever but since you got shot, I worry when you go to work. I'm sorry about this morning. I know that you know the risks."

"That's not separation anxiety, Fiona." Eddie laughed, tracing random patterns on her back. "It's caring. I want you to know this, though. When I get wrapped up in my job, that when I remember that what I'm doing is dangerous and that's when I'm trying my best not to let it kill me."

"Mentioning caring," Fiona pulled away and eyed him suspiciously. "What in the bloody hell actually happened? You look like a prize fighter."

"The other guy lost the prize fight." Eddie laughed, offering her a wry grin. "A suspect tried to beat me into a bloody pulp. I was too distracted to realize it but once I did, the damage had been done. Luckily for me, he had a bad knee and I picked a good day to wear boots."

"Well then," Fiona offered him a saucy grin, purring like a kitten as she tugged on his hand. "What do you say, Mister Arlette, that I give you a reward for your bravery?"

"Oh yeah?" Eddie's eyebrow almost disappeared into his hair line and without further need of instruction, he stood up to follow her. "What kind of reward are we talking about here?"

"The kind of reward that will make you forget all about those injuries." Fiona practically vibrated with arousal, giggling happily when he let her lead him into his own bedroom. "And our fight. And possibly your own name."

"Our fight has already been forgotten about." Eddie grinned at the devilish little minx, he was proud to call his girlfriend. "But, feel free to make me forget about my injuries. Forgetting my own name could work out in your favor if you do the right thing."

"I better get started."

Later that night, after Fiona had succeeded in making him forget his own name - dear God, the magnificent things she could do with her tongue - they lay together in bed. They both marvelled and laughed at their ability to fight and make up within the same day. It hadn't even been twenty-four hours, that's how truly horrible they were at staying mad at each other. It had taken them a while but they had come to a place where they actually cared enough about each other to work through the ups and downs of a relationship, even one that had, had a tumultuous start like theirs had. They also now realize that making up was, indeed, _very _good. Like, really, really good. And worth repeating, several times, to thoroughly reiterate how sorry they are.

* * *

><p><strong>Hiya! So I was going to write out the fight scene until I realized how horrible I am at doing that. I can write out fight scenes but they're redundant and pointless so I didn't even try. I don't want to say the same thing ten different ways. Let's just say that Fiona's separation anxiety from the last chapter carried over into this chapter and that's what they got in a fight about. Anywho, I didn't forget about this story. I was going to update a lot sooner but I've been dealing with some personal issues that I'm currently working through. I realize that I shouldn't let that get in the way of writing, considering that it's almost like therapy, but I needed to deal with it that way I could make writing my main focus for a while. I'm sorry and hopefully I'll have all my personal issues worked out in a couple of weeks. I love you though and I promise I haven't forgotten about all of my amazing reviewers for this story! <strong>

**Leave me some love, Dolls! **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	11. Senses

Fiona Bickerton trudged through the door, rumpled and frazzled from a long day of dealing with cantankerous, unsatisfied customers demanding her assistance. The once crisp and pristine peach cotton of her blouse reaked of perfume and demanded the professional touch of a dry-cleaner. Her dark brown pants are wrinkled and the bottom of one leg was ripped from catching on her high-heeled shoe earlier in the day - that incident had been while dealing with a particularly obstinate customer and her manager had been ready to ream her out for one thing or another. It had taken everything she had learned from the etiquette school, her mother had forced her to attend, to remain poised and calm instead of crumpling into sobs like she had wanted to do.

Her heels are kicked off rather unceremoniously and her purse dumped on the table by the door. She shrugged out of her jacket and tossed it on top of her purse - it already needed to be dry cleaned, what was a few wrinkles?

She sighed tiredly. After a bad day she really needed a good glass of - "Wine?"

Eddie's baritone rasp made her unconsciously shiver. She looked up and smiled tiredly at him. Oh, he was a sight for sore eyes, leaning casually against the arch of the foyer. He was probably the most delicious sight she had seen all day with the sleeves of his dark shirt rolled up to his elbows, and although it, at one time was neatly tucked into his black trousers, it had come untucked and hung over the waistband. He cradled a tall-stemmed glass of red wine in his palm, stem pinched between his index and middle finger.

"Eddie, hi!" Fiona breathed tiredly, stumbling over to him. "Wine sounds perfect."

The day had etched tired lines onto her face, creasing the skin at the corner of her mouth and eyes. Shadows of exhaustion tinged the delicate ivory skin under her eyes shades of navy blue and dark purple, almost black. He traced a line with the backs of his fingers from her temple down to her jaw-line, rasping a simple qustion. "Bad day?"

"Terrible."

"How about some dinner?" Eddie smiled tenderly, "It's been a while since we've had a night just the two of it, so I cooked dinner and dessert."

"Sounds wonderful!"

It all sounded too good to be true. There he was, Edward Arlette, former detective from the States and her mortal enemy, spoiling her and treating her like she's the damn Queen of England. Not only that, he looked and smelled damn good doing it. She let him guide her into the dining room and her mouth dropped open at the sight that greeted her. The dimmed lighting gave way to the comfortable ambient light from the lavender candles flickering at either end of the table, throwing long, sensual shadows on the wall. Two plates piled with spaghetti, bowls of salad, and a smaller plate with toasted French bread, another glass of wine and the bottle.

"The spaghetti is vegetarian. I used a simple marinara without the meat." Eddie explained, reaching down to pull the chair out for her. He continued his explanation of the meal once she was comfortably seated. "The bread is toasted, no garlic, and a simple salad."

Fiona smiled tenderly, turning to Eddie, and with a warm hand on his cheek, leaning up to kiss him. He absently wrapped his arm around her back and returned the kiss, only to pull away a few seconds later before it could go any further. He spent hours preparing this meal. They were damn well going to eat it. She kissed his cheek and turned back to take her seat, hazel eyes watching Eddie move around the table to take his own.

"This looks wonderful, Eddie!" Fiona twirled a few noodles around the prongs of her fork, eager to test the results of Eddie's culinary endeavors. The marinara sauce was rich and smooth; the depth of flavor exploding on her taste buds eliciting a moan of sweet delight. "What did you do to this? It's amazing!"

Oh. Huh. Who actually knew that watching her eat spaghetti could be so erotic? The long noodles...oh. Whoa. Arlette, get it together. Now is not the time to be thinking in such a manner. She was trying to enjoy her dinner after a long day of dealing with customers. That said, he couldn't help but find her whole process of eating spaghetti obscenely sexual. It really was ungodly to be thinking of her eating endeavors in such a way, but damn it, the woman was sexy as hell in all aspects of life. The way she oh-so-gracefully twirled the noodles around the fork and wrapped her lips around the fork, pulling it out between her soft, glossy lips.

And the unintentionally seductive way she sucked - oh! bad choice of words, Arlette - the ends of the spaghetti into her mouth. Cue sharp pang of arousal. "Oh, um," he finally decided to answer her question, stammering and stuttering, though he may have been. "It's basic marinara. I just added a little more o-oreg-gano."

He swallowed. Hard.

Three Hail Mary's, a recollection of every baseball stat he knew, and a brief yet graphic recall of the last movie he had seen before being transferred to London, settled the arousal for the time being. He'd really have to watch Dahmer again soon, keep his memory of it fresh for moments such as these. Nothing like a serial killer to take your mind off of what you'd like to be doing to your girlfriend.

The rest of the meal passed in relative silence and Eddie thanked the powers that be for that. He retrieved a decadent vegetarian chocolate cake with strawberries and powdered from the fridge and when it was within her view, he was almost positive her pupils dilated. He cut them each a generous slice and served hers with extra strawberries. She was pleasantly surprised by the rich dessert and the sweet fruit. She hadn't expected an evening quite like this one - at best, she had hoped for take out and a movie on the couch.

"Eddie, this is wonderful and I appreciate all of this but why did you do it?" Fiona plucked a strawberry slice, sticky with chocolate frosting and powdered sugar, from her cake and popped it into her mouth. It was sweet and juicy with just the right amount of tartness.

"Well," Oh. Good. No more stammering. He could finally answer her properly. "It occurred to me that we haven't had downtime aside from our one date after I got hurt. I thought it was time to change that." Her eyes flickered dark amber in the candle light and he felt all the blood promptly leave his head. Damn arousal. He cleared his throat and issued a set of instructions that left no room for arguments. "Once you finish, I want you to go change into something comfortable and meet me in the living room."

Fiona furrowed her eyebrows in confusion but asked no questions as she ate her dessert. They finished dessert and soon enough, Fiona was dashing up the stairs to change into something comfortable while Eddie cleaned up the kitchen.

xxx

Eddie waited for her in the living room, back against one arm of the couch, and his legs spread just enough for her to rest between them. The candles had been moved, now flickering on the coffee table, with the pleasant accompaniment of Ella Fitzgerald. He looked beautiful. There was no other way to put it. As emasculating as it may have been for him, he was beautiful in the dim glow of candlelight. He motioned for her to come sit between his legs. She settled on the couch, against his chest and waited for him to begin.

"Eddie, what are you - oh!"

Her question was cut off by a sharp gasp of surprise when his hands, warm and rough, worked the knots and kinks at the base of her neck. He left no time for her to wince at the pain before it dissolved into tingling pleasure and her muscles relaxed under his deft, talented fingers.

His fingers were soon replaced with his lips as his hands worked along her shoulders. Her heavy eyelids were slowly closing as he slowly worked her shoulders into submission and the muscles relaxed, causing her shoulders to sag. She moaned and breathed his name several times as he lightly rubbed her shoulders to ease the rest of the tension away. He pressed light, breathless kisses into the back of her neck as he mumbled, "feel good?" against the silky smooth skin.

"Heavenly," Fiona breathed, "Where did you learn to do this?"

"I didn't." Eddie whispered, trailing a line of kisses from the base of her neck up to her hairline as his hands worked her back. "I'm learning as I go along."

The tightly knotted muscles were starting to give into his firm but gentle caress and the massage was starting to take effect on Fiona in more ways than one. Fiona could only guess that he had learned her body well enough to know what would feel good to her from their bedroom activities. She didn't know that he had gathered rather intimate knowledge of her back and exactly how to manipulate her muscles into relaxed submission.

"Eddie," Fiona gasped breathless, when his fingers worked tight circles in the small of her back. "Eddie."

"Shh." Eddie murmured, working her muscles until he could feel the knots release. Although he had heard Fiona's sharp hiss of relief - or possibly release - with every knot he worked out, so he didn't really have to feel it, he knew whether or not it was working based on what noises she made.

He kneaded and lightly rubbed her back with the palms of his hands, releasing every bit of tension. She was surprised when instead of stopping, he simply tugged her tank top up to just below her bust and pulled her back so that she was leaning against his chest. She rested her head on his shoulder and let him do whatever it was he planned on doing. To her delighted surprise, he rubbed slow circles from her hips up to her ribs and back down again.

"Eddie," Fiona moaned, unintentionally moving against him, causing him to groan.

"Jesus, Fiona." Eddie's hands stopped in their tracks as he took a second to compose himself before he continued with his massage.

Fiona took that as an opportunity to roll over and reposition herself so that she was straddling him. She locked her arms around his neck and sank her fingers into his short blonde hair. Eddie smiled as he settled his hands on her hips and held her close to him. He had barely uttered a single syllable before he found himself locked in a fiery, earth-shattering kiss that should have lasted a hell of a lot longer than it did.

"I think," Fiona moved her hips slightly so that she was teasing him. "That was the best massage I've ever had."

"You keep that up," Eddie growled, holding her hips still. "You'll be getting a lot more than a massage tonight."

"I don't mind." Fiona grinned salaciously.

"Not tonight, honey." Eddie shook his head, gently sweeping the back of his hand down the side of her face and under her heavy, half-lidded eyes. "You're exhausted, I can see it in your eyes."

Fiona pouted but Eddie quickly remedied the situation with a kiss and the promise of another backrub. The warbled sound of jazz music was all that could be heard as they stretched out on the couch, Fiona on top of him, and just relaxed. Neither needed anything more intimate than simply laying with one another. It wasn't long before the music, candles and massage did its job and they were sleeping peacefully with one another.

Yes, a night in was most definitely what they needed.

* * *

><p><strong>Well this wasn't planned...like at all and it took me less than an hour! Now for a little explanation of the title; the elements of the chapter really play into the five senses. Sense of hearing - music, sense of sight - Fiona seeing a delicious looking Eddie, sense of smell - lavender candles, sense of taste - dinner and dessert and sense of touch - Eddie's massage. Bloody hell, I did that without realizing it! Anyway, I was listening to 'Again' by Lenny Kravitz, which is my latest addiction and is rather slow and sensual, thus the reason for the slow, sensual pace of this chapter! Lenny Kravitz really is quite delicious, I must say! Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Je t'aime, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**(Je t'aime is French for 'I love you'. That's the one phrase I know in French and I use it quite a bit.) **


	12. Heaven and Hell

Blonde hair splayed out on the soft white of a wrinkled pillowcase; soft golden sunlight catching the tendrils as it slipped through the curtains shyly and heated the room with a comfortable warmth. Her hazel eyes would be decidedly more amber when she opened them. He knew this because the sunlight always made her eyes seem more amber than they really were. He's lingering on top of her, resting his weight on one hand while the other brushes her hair from her neck and his lips replace his fingers. She's wearing nothing but his dress shirt, the one he had worn to work the day before, and a pair of pink underwear that he can see through the white material of his shirt.

"Hmmm." Her soft moan vibrated against his lips as he sucked on that one tender spot on her throat that gets her everytime - even when she's sleeping. He can't help but smile a little against the soft, creamy flesh he's currently working his teeth against. She writhed underneath him in her sleep; her eyes never opening even as he continued his ministrations. He was not quite sure if she was, in fact, still asleep or if it's pleasure that's keeping her from opening her eyes.

"Open your eyes," His soft order rumbled against her neck as he pressed her into the mattress and bit down on the flesh causing her eyes to fly open and a strangled gasp to slip between her lips. Her arms fly around his shoulders and he can feel her fingertips digging into his back through his t-shirt as she gripped him. "Good?"

"Eddie," Fiona's surprised gasp makes him laugh a little as he continued biting her neck. "Quite a wake up call."

His mouth never left her neck as he shifted his weight and nimble fingers began undoing the buttons of her shirt. "It's about to get better."

"We have to work today, Eddie."

His eyes, dark with arousal and lust, flicker over to the clock on the nightstand and Fiona can just see the gears turning in his head as he quickly calculated exactly how much time they have before work. His devilish grin and the mischief in his eyes tell her that she was in for quite the wild wake up call and that she'll be more tired going to work than she will be when she gets off later that afternoon. She just giggled in delight and pulls his t-shirt over his head and slips her arms around his neck as he crashes his lips against hers.

"I'm late, I'm late.." Fiona's frantic rush into the kitchen, hurriedly pulling a dark purple blouse over her head and pulling her hair back into a neat ponytail made Eddie chuckle from the table where he was happily munching on some cereal. He stood up and made his way over to her, pulling her blouse down over the black camisole until just a small triangle peeked out from the V-neck.

"Will you calm down?" Eddie chuckled, leaning down to kiss her briefly. "You've got twenty minutes and it only takes ten minutes to get there."

"Sorry." Fiona took a deep breath and leaned her forehead against his chest. "How are you not late for work?"

"Pippin." Eddie kissed the top of her head as he rubbed her arms which are wrapped loosely around his abdomen. "He's horrible about not being able to avoid morning rush-hour. If I'm too late, I'll just say that my alarm didn't go off or something."

Fiona looked up at him; "Kiss? Before I go to work."

Eddie chuckled quietly as he leaned down and kissed her quickly before she could deepen it and really was late for work. "Make sure you eat today, okay?"

Fiona nodded, kissed his cheek and bolted out of the door before another word could be passed between them. She's barely out of the front door when he heard her call, "Love you." before the front door slammed shut and her car pulled out of the driveway.

"Love you too, Fiona."

xxx

It was noon when Pippin rushed into his office, cell-phone in hand and the Superintendent hot on his heels. They're both wearing that same solemn but intensely scared look on their face and Pippin's face falls even further when he snaps his cell-phone shut. It disappears into the pocket of his khaki slacks before his eyes meet Eddie's and that look borders on a little more scared than solemn. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that there's something wrong.

"Pippin," Eddie stood up and moved around his desk until he was standing directly in front of his partner. "What's going on?"

"There's a..a hostage situation downtown." Pippin's voice has taken on that same vulnerable, scared-little-boy tone it had taken on when Eddie was in the hospital.

The dread knotted in Eddie's stomach and he could feel his cereal crawling back up his esophagus along with bile. He doesn't want to say what he's thinking because it may not be true. Fiona may not be involved. The cosmetic store where she worked was in downtown but that meant nothing. There were also several banks downtown that could have been dealing with a hostage situation. Call it instinct or may be it was just the look in Pippin's eyes but somehow he knew that Fiona was involved. His vision was murky at best and his voice was thick with tears as he pleaded with his partner; "Don't say it."

"I'm sorry, man." Pippin looked away from his partner, unable to face Eddie now. "It's Fiona's store."

"Wh-what happened?" Eddie managed to strangle out, needing more information in order to get a grip on the situation before his emotions take control and he can't think straight.

"A man rushed into the store and pulled a gun, told everyone to get down and has been holding them hostage ever since...that's been two hours ago." Pippin told him, in his rare no-nonsense tone. "There's a hostage negotiator and Interpol there now. So far, no negotiations have been made."

"Let's go," Eddie grabbed his coat. "I can't stand around and do nothing."

"Eddie, we don't even know that Fiona is in there. She could be out to lunch." Pippin grabbed at his partner's arm.

"It's noon. Her lunch break isn't until one and she doesn't get off until five. She's in that store." Eddie growled at his partner. "And I'll be damned if she comes out in a body-bag."

"Arlette -"

"There's no use, Superintendent." Pippin shook his head as he chased after his partner. "He'll save her even if it means his own death."

He barely made it to the car before Eddie's foot slammed the accelerator to the floor and they were off to the cosmetic store where Fiona worked. They arrived in record time. Interpol agents swarmed the place, buzzing around with loaded guns, ready to shoot the idiot the first clean shot they had. A hostage negotiator was spitting rapid-fire compromises into a phone but the gunman refused every one of them.

"Eddie Arlette, Scotland Yard." Eddie flashed his badge to the Interpol agent that greeted them when they stepped out of the car. "This is my partner, Monty Pippin. What's going on here?"

"We've got six hostages. Two store clerks, a manager and three customers. The customers are on the ground in front and as far as we can tell, the employees are in the back, behind the counter, tied up out of sight." The agent told him, tilting his head toward the store behind him. "He's been holding them hostage for two hours but has given no indication as to what he wants from them."

"Any sign that the hostages are alive?" Eddie asked him quickly.

"There have been no gunshots but that means nothing in a hostage situation. He's got them tucked away in that store. The security cameras have been blacked out so we have no way of knowing what's going on in that store." The agent told them. "The hostage negotiator has been trying to reason with him but he's unintelligible. He talks in strings of random words that no one can decode."

The next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion for everyone. The dread knotted in Eddie's stomach lumps in his throat rendering him speechless and his buckling knees send him colliding with the icy asphault. Muffled gun-shots ring out around them. Despite the dread and the terror that's eating away at him, he counted them in his head, praying that he doesn't hear six because if he did, he knew to expect the worst.

One...two...three...four...five...

_Six._

* * *

><p><strong>And just when you think the drama is over! It's only just begun! Not gonna lie, that wasn't what I had in mind for the chapter but I didn't want my dear readers and reviewers to get bored with it! Anyway, I can't really say anything other than I wrote this chapter in about two hours sitting at my grandmother's kitchen table while listening to Jason Mraz's song, 'I'm Yours' which in no way fits the chapter but I'm not really known for listening to songs that are appropriate for the subject matter I'm writing about. Leave some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	13. End of a Nightmare

_No. _

_No. _

_No. _

_Just no! _

His fingertips scraped along the iced-over asphault, clenching into hands into tight fists. His vision blurred, eyes glassy with tears, and his head felt like it was spinning. A symphony of noises rang in his ears; gunshots and screams and feet pounding pavement. Somewhere off to his left, a crowd of spectators, held back by Scotland Yard Inspectors, muffled their screams behind gloved hands while others settled for expressions of horror - open mouths, wide, teary eyes, and a frightened tension freezing them in one place. A single moment in time mirrored on their faces in an anguished visage, while dread wrenched their insides.

His stomach contorted, gnarling and lumping in his throat, nauseating him to the point of pain. It was overwhelming, and he turned from the scene, spilling his breakfast onto the London street. The sickening slosh of his breakfast onto the half-melted ice brought about another wave of miserable nausea and rough dry heaves.

An ambulance shrieked, drowning out Interpol agents and Scotland Yard inspectors.

He remained in place; frozen, either by fear, or by the dread of what Interpol was going to find when they entered the store. It echoed in his head, spinning in a dizzying vortex of color, motion, and muffled voices and the sharp shriek of sirens.

It was happening so fast.

Too fast, really.

He couldn't process it - not at once, especially when the only thing on his mind has blonde hair and hazel eyes. He just wanted them to find his girlfriend, as selfish as that sounded. He didn't care about the spectators, screeching ambulance brakes, or that Pippin has rushed straight into the middle of it. He just didn't care. He wanted this whole mess to be over with. He wanted to gather Fiona up in his arms and take her home. He wanted to get as far away from this nightmare as possible. He doesn't want to hear the explosive shot of a gun or see the muzzle flashes in his head. He doesn't want to think about what the store must look like, what _she _must look like. He just wanted to wake up because compared to the dream his life had been this morning, this afternoon is turning out to be the nightmare from hell. He doesn't think about the six victims inside the store, including his girlfriend. He doesn't want to believe that she's dead because, as much as it pained him to admit it, he needed her and if she died on him now...

"Don't die on me, Fiona Bickerton!" His voice was raspy and thick in his throat, exhaustion watering down the frustration. "Please!"

His voice faded, lost and almost hopeless. He knew Fiona wouldn't approve of this, she'd want him to remain optimistic, but he didn't know how. He was former detective out of New York, having witnessed some of the worst humanity had to offer. It was impossible to be sanguine about situations - especially hostage situations - but he had to try. If only for her. Their relationship, based solely off of mutual hatred and irritation, had evolved into something much more fulfilling and he wanted it to last.

He wanted forever and he wanted it with her.

"Eddie, get up!" Pippin ordered sharply. His seemingly catatonic partner only offered him a glassy, lost stare in return. He'd seen lost puppies that looked less pathetic than his partner, but nevertheless, he took pity on him and reached down, grabbing his biceps. He hauled the man up with some difficulty - the man might as well have been dead weight in the state, he was in - and helped him over to the sidewalk, careful to avoid stepping in Eddie's regurgitated breakfast. "Eddie, are you alright?"

Eddie, subconsciously at least because he's not entirely sure he's completely conscious to his surroundings, knew he must have looked pathetic to Pippin. He's bent perpendicular to the ground, hands on his damp knees, with his mouth slightly open, and glazed eyes. "She's dead, isn't she?"

The broken vulnerability and reluctant acceptance of what he might have to face cracked through his rough-and-tumble, seemingly unshakable demeanor. "I - Eddie, I'm sorry, I don't know." Pippin answered honestly. He knew that if he were to lie to Eddie, it would come back to bite him, and Scotland Yard would end up peeling him off the icy asphault before the day ended. "I don't know."

xxx

Broken glass, remnants of the shattered display case, was scattered along the white tile, glittering mockingly in the mid-afternoon sun that streamed through the window. The sparkle of the sunlight catching the glass was a warm reminder of the beautiful fresh air she had enjoyed on her way to work this morning. The air inside the store felt stuffy and suffocating, as it had for the past two hours, since her usual day at work had turned into a living hell. A sticky warmth seeped out of a wound on the back of her head, absorbed by her blonde hair. Her hazel eyes were teary and red-rimmed, evidence of the sobs and pleas for him to just take what he wanted and let them all go.

It had been futile.

He hadn't relented in the slightest, instead choosing to unleash a spray of bullets into a display case, sending glass flying and she suspected a pieces was lodged in the back of her head because she had felt a sharp, piercing blow and it hadn't been from him. She had quietened down her pleas and sobs despite the panic attack she could feel coming on and had instead, curled up in a trembling ball in the corner. Her knees were pulled up to her chest and her arms were wrapped firmly around them with her head down.

A loud crash followed by the heavy thud of footsteps pulled her face out of her knees and her eyes to the door which had been busted in. Ten figures all clothed in black with Interpol printed on the back of the heavy Kevlar vests in thick white font, rushed in and before she could blink, surrounded the man, all with guns ready to shoot him if he so much as breathed in a way they didn't like. His nonsensical chatter silenced, a welcome relief from the two hours of slurry garble they had been forced to listen too.

"Interpol," The voice was heady and decidedly male but she can't tell where or rather, who it's coming from. "Drop your weapon."

She can vaguely make out the brown circles of the man's irises as they flicker between the gun in his hand and the Interpol agents surrounding him. The distinctive click of a gun being cocked, prepared for shooting, breaks the tense silence. Whatever the man had been planning to do has been intercepted and the barrel of a much larger gun than the one the man had on him is raised in the air, dropping with a sickening crunch on the man's arm, forcing him to release the gun. Before the man can utter a cry of pain, the Interpol agents have converged and his wrists are bound behind his back. Two agents carry him out, ignoring his cries of pain from his decidedly broken arm.

"Alright, let's get these hostages out. Ambulance is standing by." an Interpol agent, swung his arm around his room, tiredly issuing instructions for the remaining agents to be gentle. "That bastard put them through enough today, don't make it worse."

"Hey," A softer, cooing voice greeted her and she found herself staring into pale olive eyes, framed by honey colored locks. "My name is Ashley . Are you alright?"

"My head." Fiona spoke with a hoarse reluctance, wincing at the harsh crack of her voice, reminiscent of a pubescent boy. She reached for the back of her head, seeking out the source of the pain; "There's something wrong."

The woman's hand were firm but gentle as she reached forward and pulled Fiona's head down, inspecting the wound carefully. "There's piece of glass in there. It's small, should be a relatively easy fix. No stitches. Let's get you to the EMT's, they'll fix you up. What's your name, sweetie?"

"Is Eddie here?" Fiona asked softly, looking up at her. "My name..Fiona Bickerton."

"I don't know. Let's get you outside and I'll go find him." Ashley told her, reaching for her elbows to help her to her feet. "Your balance may not be the best, so let's take it a step at a time."

She was right; her balance was shaky and her knees felt wobbly, ready to buckle. She was barely able to crunch over the broken glass in her heels but Ashley accomodated her lack of balance with a strong arm around her back, guiding her and keeping her upright. She had never felt more relieved to see an ambulance and when the EMT helped her onto a stretcher, it's a welcome change from the hard floor and walking on shaky knees. She managed to spout off Eddie's full name, his rank in Scotland Yard, and a basic description of his appearance.

xxx

"Detective Eddie Arlette?"

"That's me!" The voice calling his name barely reached his ears before he was on his feet clamoring over to meet her. "That's me."

"Eddie Arlette?" The woman questioned just to be sure. When he nodded frantically and pulled his badge from his pocket, holding it out with shaky hands, she knew she had found the right person. "I'm Agent Ashley Todd, Interpol."

"What's going on?"

"We surrounded the gunman. He's in custody right now. All the hostages have been released. The six shots were at a display case, not the people inside the store." Agent Todd explained patiently, smiling when the blue-eyed detective's relief became clear in his eyes. "There was one woman, Fiona Bickerton. She's asking for you."

"She's my girlfriend." Eddie explained quickly. "I share a flat with her and we've been dating for the past month or so."

"She's over there," Ashley pointed him to the stretcher where a blonde woman was seated with her head down while an EMT cleaned and dressed a head wound. "She took a piece of glass to the head when the display case was shot and she's pretty traumatized but other than that, I see no reason why you wouldn't be free to take her home as soon as the EMT is done."

Eddie nodded and offered a strangled, "thank you!" before he sprinted in Fiona's direction. He was not sure if the adrenaline rush was wearing off or if it was just the relief from knowing that she was alive but something was sending his nerves into overdrive. His hands felt shaky and clammy but he didn't care about that. All he cared about was the fact that Fiona was alive and he could take her home. He had barely been able to conceal the tears of relief in front of the Interpol agent but now that he was seeing her, really seeing her, seeing that she's still breathing, he wasn't trying to hide them anymore.

"Fiona!" Eddie's voice was choked with disbelief, but when she looked up at him in complete disregard of the EMT"s former instructions to keep her head down, he finally met her hazel eyes and the disbelief faded into overwhelming relief. "Fiona!"

"Eddie!"

"Sit still, Miss Bickerton." The EMT chuckled, "I'm not quite finished. Let me get this last bandage on."

He barely had the bandage on before Fiona had jumped from the stretcher and leaped straight at Eddie, who didn't hesitate to gather the small woman in his arms and cradle her to him, pressing his face into her hair. He tugged her closer, needing to feel more of her because she was alive, she was there, and that was all that mattered to to him. "Are you alright?" Eddie murmured into her hair, "Did he hurt you at all?"

"Aside from the glass that his bullets sent flying into my head, I'm fine." Fiona mumbled into the safe warmth of his button down shirt, nuzzling her face into the warm fabric. "I was so scared, Eddie."

"I know, Fiona, I know." Eddie chose not to tell her that the six gunshots had scared the living hell out of him, instead he just rubbed her back and gently stroked her hair. "It's over. I've got you, you're alright now."

"I want to go home." Fiona's soft voice is muffled by his shirt but he doesn't need to hear her to know what she said.

"Can I take her home?" Eddie directed the question at the EMT, who had bandaged her up.

"Absolutely. I'm going to give you a light sedative. Give it to her before she goes to bed to help her sleep." The EMT nodded, handing him a prescription bottle and a box of the same small white bandages that formed an X over the wound on her head. "She can shower as long as her wound is cleaned and rebandaged after. Once the healing process starts, there'll be no need for the bandages."

With the bandages and prescription bottle in hand, he offered the EMT a soft, "thanks, man" before wrapping his arm around Fiona and leading her away. Pippin was waiting on the sidelines, car keys in hand, when they emerged from the noisy crowd. He offered them a smile and led them to the car. There was no looking back for Eddie or Fiona, both happy to get away from the hell-hole that had, just hours ago, been her place of employment. The backseat of Pippin's car was far more comfortable than Fiona ever imagined - then again, after being curled up on a cold floor, the sun-warmed leather was practically a feather pillow. Coccooned in Eddie's protective embrace, head nestled comfortable in his chest, and her hands gripping his shirt with a strength she didn't know she had, Fiona was finally able to fall asleep.

The nightmare was finally over.

For both of them.

* * *

><p><strong>What? You didn't really think I'd actually kill her off, did you? Hell no! I love them far too much to ever kill her off. That would just be cruel and unusual punishment...for Eddie and for you! She survived, but the suspense was too much to resist so I kept it going for a little while longer. I'm sure I don't have to explain why Eddie decided to regurgitate his breakfast on a cold London street, do I? Anyway, both Cedricsowner and Niagaraweasel couldn't wait for this chapter - and to be perfectly honest, their reviews made me fear possible bloodshed should I have kept them waiting for more than a day or two. So, this is for you two! Leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	14. Shattered

He didn't quite know what to think, but, to be fair, he hadn't been all that sure what to think the first time around. The first time it happened, he had been surprised but not overwhelmingly so. He had expected some backlash from being held hostage, but _this _wasn't quite what he had anticipated. He hadn't really expected to come home to Fiona Bickerton quivering in the corner of her trashed bedroom, in the shocking silence of a pristine flat. Her bedroom, as far as he could tell, was the only room trashed, and while he suspected he knew, he wanted to hear it directly from her. Experience was an effective teacher and it had taught him well, the many different effects trauma could have on victims of a crime, but this was something different. Her bedroom was destroyed and she was no better, trembling in the corner, holding her head as if the piece of glass remained embedded beneath the skin.

"Fiona?" Eddie kept his voice quiet - this had scared the daylights out of him, to say the least, and he was afraid that if he didn't keep quiet, he could frighten her. That said, he was also terribly unsure of how to go about handling a delicate situation such as this one. He kept a careful distance between them; mindful not to trap her or cage her in, should she suffer from a panic attack. He knelt down slowly and extended his arms out slightly, ready to catch her if necessary. "Fiona?"

"D-don't!"

Her shriek of fright sent him reeling. His ice blue eyes darken, flickering in a thunderstorm of emotion. Shock, mostly, was what he found. His voice sounded hoarse and rough and whatever spilled out of his mouth was barely managed by his throat, which closely resembled the Sahara with it's unyielding dry burn. "Fiona, honey, it's Eddie."

She whimpered, curling further into herself. Her knees were pressed tightly to her chest, held tightly by her sweater-clad arms. She seemed to transition between quivering and rocking back and forth and back again all in the span of a few seconds. "Why?" The question was mumbled so quietly, he strained to hear her.

"Why? Why, what, honey?" Eddie's eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

A curtain of blonde hair blocked his view of her face, but a split second glimpse of her eyes, told him all he needed to know. The cold nothingness in them, the blind panic that deadened her to reality, it all meant that mentally, psychologically, she was back in that store. It meant that every single second of what happened was locked her in mind. And she wanted to know why. Maybe why it had happened to her or why he had chosen that store. What answer she was looking for, he didn't know.

"Why did it happen to me? Why that store?"

Oh.

So that's what she wanted to know.

"Fiona I- I can't answer that." Eddie sighed softly, hanging his head. It pained him to not have the answers she desparately wanted. It hurt. It really hurt to see her so desparate for answers she'd never get and to watch her curl up in a corner, small and fragile like a child. "Fiona, it's over."

Those three words, spoken in hopes of offering comfort, mean nothing. Not now. It doesn't matter if it's over and it won't matter days, or even weeks from now, when this happens again. The fact that it's over doesn't change the fact that it happened and it doesn't mean she'll be okay. She won't be. Not for a while. It would get better. She would get better but nothing would ever be the same. Her mentality was different; she was more aware, more heavily guarded against the world.

"It'll never be over for me, Eddie!" Fiona unfurled slightly in an explosion of terrified fury. "Never! Don't you get that?"

"No, Fiona. I don't. I've never been through this." Eddie knew better than to lie to her. Not now. She needed the truth. "But, I'm sorry, you have."

"Don't give me your sympathy, Eddie!" Fiona seethed, sinking back into her corner. "I don't want it!"

"I know, sweetheart, but I'm lost here." Eddie admitted softly, blinking back tears.

"Everytime I close my eyes," Fiona sniffled quietly, huddling against the wall. "Everytime I close my eyes, he's there with a gun."

"You're dealing with what happened, honey." Eddie reminded her quietly. "We just have to take this one day at a time."

"O-one day?"

"Yes, one day at a time. You can't think about what could have happened." Eddie told her gently, "It'll ruin you, Fiona. I've seen it happen to many people. We'll cross those bridges when we get to them."

"I don't want to cross them!" Fiona snapped. "I don't want to."

"Then we'll burn the damn things, but I'm not giving up on you. I'm not." Eddie insisted firmly, "I won't sit back and watch you turn into someone who is afraid to go out and live her life. I won't let what that bastard did, destroy you."

"What do we do?" Fiona sniffled into the sleeve of her sweater.

"We go one day at a time. And we keep doing that until you're okay. You let me help you and when you don't think you can do it anymore, I'll be here." Eddie assured her softly; husky in a tender sort of way that spoke of his immense affection for the scared blonde. "We do this together, Fiona. We can get there. It'll be hard but we can do it. If I have to carry you the whole way, I will. You will be okay again."

"You promise?" Fiona's soft voice reminded him so much of a scared little child that it brought tears to his eyes.

"I do." Eddie nodded.

Her trembling slowed and the curtain of blonde hair hiding her face was moved by a shaky hand as she finally met his blue eyes. Recognition sparked in her reddened hazel eyes and in them he could see a fear that shook him to the core. She was scared; that was the obvious fact but what really shook him up was the kind of fear that flickered in her eyes. This was the same fear he had seen in her eyes the day it happened. The fear that had made her cling to him as if her life depended on it. It was a fear that, in retrospect, he had experienced that day too.

For him it had been the fear that she was dead and for her, it was the fear of dying.

"C'mere, Fiona." He whispered, holding his arms out to her.

She crawled reluctantly into his arms like a scared child and he cradled her in his arms as if she was such. Her arms tucked against her body, her head on his shoulder and his arms around her tightly, holding her against his body. He turned and collapsed against the wall, leaning his head back as he stroked her hair soothingly. Her breathing was shaky and her sobs had reduced to sniffles and the occasional whimper but she was mostly calm.

"There we go. That's better." He murmured tenderly; stroking her cheekbone gently to soothe her as a father would soothe his scared daughter. "It's alright, everything's alright."

"I'm sorry."

"Shush. No. No apologies." He scolded her gently, combing his fingers through her knotted blonde hair. "None. I don't need to hear them."

He sat there on the floor of her bedroom, tears stinging his eyes, for hours on end with Fiona curled in his arms. He didn't know what had triggered today's episode but he did know that something was really wrong with Fiona. She had never acted as she had today. He had never once seen a single thing in her bedroom out of place and today it was trashed, she had been convinced that he was the man who held her and five others hostage and now she was curled in his arms like a scared child.

And her eyes.

The fear had been replaced by a blank stare. The fiery spark that always flickered in her eyes was gone, replaced by a cold nothingness. He had never known Fiona could look like a mere shell of the spitfire she was but she did. He wouldn't let her become a mere shell of a woman. He couldn't. He needed that fiery personality in his life. He needed the walking contradiction of someone who could be so sweet, warm and caring yet so hot and fiery when she was angry. He loved her too much to lose that.

"I love you, Fiona Bickerton." Eddie murmured into her blonde hair. "And somehow, someway we're gonna get through this."

* * *

><p><strong>So as I was reading over the last chapter, wondering where in the hell I was going to go with this story, it occured to me that Fiona wouldn't have come out of an ordeal like that without some scarring. She's probably traumatized, which is to be expected. She's Fiona; hot-headed and stubborn though she may be, she's not invincible and that just seemed to bring out the naturally tender and caring side of Eddie. Hope you enjoy it! Leave me some love, Dolls.<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	15. Letting Him In

Yawning audibly as he rubbed his eyes with one hand and poured some water into the coffee pot to brew with the other, Eddie Arlette couldn't help but think of how bad his day at work was going to be. Three hours of sleep did not a good detective make but alas, that's all he had managed. He could handle the bad days; the days of coming home to Fiona huddled back into herself in the corner of her trashed bedroom. He could handle Fiona bolting out of the shower at the slightest noise and rushing downstairs, wrapped only a thin towel to check on him but the nightmares were something different. The nightmares that sent her bolting out of bed in a cold sweat and fervored panic were the worst. Some nights, she didn't even get out of bed, she just laid there still asleep thrashing and screaming his name. Okay, so the screaming his name part he liked but only in the right context.

"Eddie," Fiona's soft, sleepy voice startled him out of his drowsy haze. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Eddie held out an arm for her and smiled when she rushed into his side, her head resting against his shoulder. "For being held hostage? For being afraid? For having nightmares? Those are all perfectly normal things to experience Fiona. Don't apologize for something you have no control over."

"I know but last night kept you awake..." Fiona trailed off when he shook his head.

"Stop." Eddie cut her off, dropping a kiss into the top of her head. "Just stop, honey. I don't mind it. It's fine. One night without sleep isn't going to kill me. I've done it before."

"But - "

"Fiona, I love you but really, this isn't your fault." Eddie shook his head as he turned her so that she was pressed against the counter. He blocked her escape with his arms and leaned down to rest his forehead against hers, his voice was low and firm as he reiterated what he must have told her a thousand times. "You were held hostage in the same store you worked in. You were held at gunpoint but a crazed lunatic who shot six bullets at the display cases. You have every right to be scared out of your mind. I was scared out of my mind when I heard those six gunshots. I don't want you ever thinking that you're any trouble at all just because you're scared."

"You're too good too me, Eddie." Fiona smiled, despite herself as she leaned up to meet his lips. "You better go get ready. Pippin will be here soon."

"I'll be back later." Eddie kissed her tenderly before starting to his room to get dressed. "I want you to call me today, anytime you think you need too."

"Okay." Fiona let him go before grabbing his collar and pulling him back for a deeper kiss. "I've missed that."

"Fiona," Eddie laughed pulling away slightly. "I have to go to work. I'll try to get off early, okay? We'll go to lunch."

"Yeah." Fiona nodded, letting him go.

He kissed her head and rushed away to get dressed for work. He was surprised to find her holding a to-go cup full of coffee when he emerged from his bedroom. She handed it to him, straightened his tie and brushed his lapel before tilting her head up and kissing him quickly. He squeezed her hip affectionately and pulled her closer, holding the coffee away from her so he wouldn't spill. She nuzzled into his chest as he tightened his hold on her and kissed her head.

"Try not to panic, okay? I'll be home soon." Eddie murmured, pressing several more kisses into her soft blonde hair before pulling away to look at her. "Turn on some music or something, distract yourself until I get home."

"Okay."

xxx

It was noon when he walked through the door, a bag of take-out in one hand and paperwork for him to take care of once Fiona was sleeping peacefully in the other. Upon entering the house, he immediately reeled back in shock at the loudness of the music, Fiona had playing. She was usually reasonable with the volume level but this was beyond loud, this was bordering on loud enough to cause permanent damage. He could hear the windows rattling from the intense shock of soundwaves.

"Fiona?" He set the folders and take-out bag on the table by the door and shrugged out his jacket as he went in search for her. "Fiona?"

He made his way into the living room and immediately went for the stereo in the corner. In too much of a hurry to figure out how to turn the damn thing off, he reached down and ripped the plug from the wall, sighing in relief when his ears stopped ringing and the windows stopped rattling. He made his way to Fiona's room and knocked quietly so as not to frighten her. He wasn't prepare for the vase that came flying at his head and just barely ducked in time to send the vase crashing into the wall instead of his head.

"Hey, it's just Eddie." He held his hands up as he carefully moved into the room. "I brought lunch but the music was so loud you didn't hear me come in."

"Oh."

"Fiona?" Eddie moved closer to her. "Fiona what's wrong?"

"Just...ah, nothing." Fiona shook her head as she looked down at the carpet.

"You do realize you're talking to a former New York City cop, right? We're basically walking lie detector tests." Eddie raised his eyebrows. "The truth, this time?"

"Eddie."

"Fiona. C'mon, it's me. I'm not a stranger, here." Eddie coerced her softly, tenderly. "Hey, we've gone on dates. And may I just say they've had some fantastic endings. Just tell me what's wrong?"

"I had another panic attack, okay?" Fiona managed to strangle out, furiously wiping the tears from her eyes. "Right after you left, I had another panic attack so I turned the music up as loud as I could and came in here so I wouldn't call you."

"I told you to call me if you needed me, honey." Eddie reached for her and tucked her tight against his muscular form.

"I didn't want to sound ridiculous." Fiona rested her head on his shoulder, nuzzling her face into his neck. "And that's how I would have sounded."

"Fiona, no." Eddie shook his head as he rested his cheek on her head and rubbed her back. "You're still recovering from that horrible nightmare. You wouldn't have sounded ridiculous. I told you to call me and I meant it. Now what's really going on?"

"I was afraid you would have thought I was being a baby." Fiona finally admitted quietly.

"Is that what you think?" Eddie pulled away but kept a firm grip on her upper arms. "That I'm going to think of you as a baby just because you need me to come home? Just because you're having panic attacks? Sweetheart, if that's what you think then I'm obviously doing something wrong in this relationship. I don't care how childish or ridiculous you think you're being, if you need me to come home for any reason, I want you to call me. You are not a baby. You are a woman, who is struggling to overcome trauma and that's okay. You don't have to be afraid of me, Fiona. I want to help you."

"I don't want to be afraid of you, Eddie but I just...I don't know what to feel anymore." Fiona squeezed her eyes shut, trying to stop the tears but to no avail. Hot, salty tears flooded her cheeks and despite her best attempts to hide them, Eddie still saw her crying.

"I know and I know you hate that but you've got to take this one day at a time. Miracles don't happen in a day." Eddie told her softly. "Stop trying to act like you aren't scared and just let me help you."

"Okay."

"Okay." Eddie sighed, pulling her closer. "Now, lunch is waiting downstairs but I need a kiss first."

Fiona couldn't help but smile at Eddie as she leaned up to kiss him. Neither were prepared for how much they truly missed each other and missed the intimacy that had at one time been a treasured part of their relationship. They became acutely aware of that when Eddie found himself slamming Fiona into the wall and reaching for her shirt as her nimble fingers worked at the buttons of his dress shirt. She shoved it off of his shoulders and while he was taking it off, she pulled her shirt off.

"You're so damn beautiful." Eddie murmured, ravaging her neck as if he was craving the warm flesh that awaited him.

"God, Eddie." Fiona moaned, burying her fingers in Eddie's hair. "More. Want more."

He managed to pick her up long enough to carry her to the bed. From there it was a frenzied rush of clothing, flesh and heavy breathing. Neither could say why they were in such a rush but the need for a powerful release was too strong to ignore and neither one particularly cared to slow down. They both came hard; groaning each other's name and clinging to each other as if their lives depended on it. Exhausted, physically and emotionally, Fiona collapsed against the mattress and curled up against Eddie, who wrapped his arms around her and stroked her hair until her eyes closed and her breathing evened out. It wasn't long before an equally as exhausted Eddie fell asleep as well; Fiona sleeping peacefully in his arms for the first time in a while.

Neither cared that there lunch was cold.

* * *

><p><strong>So the ending wasn't what I planned but I thought, what the hell, it might be what they both need. Release some frustration, anger and grief as well as finding that release in each other might help them a lot. He wants to help her but she's too scared of letting her guard down and not being that strong, witty, sharp woman that he's used too. Because of this, Eddie had to convince her that it was okay to need him. In a lot of ways, I think that's what Eddie wanted - in the series and in this chapter. He wanted her to need him. He wanted her to realize that it was okay to need somebody. Especially if that somebody was him. Leave me some love Dolls. <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	16. Glimpse

Her hazel eyes were just about to snap open when her half-conscious mind registered the presence of a very warm, very hard body pressed against her back. The warmth of the skin, the salty smell of sweat and the freshness of his cologne filled her foggy, half-conscious mind and she found herself relaxing into his embrace. His arm tightened as if on instinct, pulling her tighter and bracing her back against his chest. She rolled over and nuzzled her face into the chiseled pectoral muscle that was free of the tight confines of a shirt and a deliciously firm warmth against her cheek. He must have been more awake than she realized because not a second later, his lips pressed against her temple.

"You 'kay?" His sleepy mumble growled lowly into her ear sent vibrations down her body and the soft brush of his lips made her shiver against him, despite the blankets that covered them.

"I'm fine, Eddie." Fiona pressed her lips to his pectoral muscle and smiled against the warm skin she found there.

"Good." He was only slightly more coherent than before and had reverted to something akin to a monosyllabic caveman.

"Need food." Fiona mumbled, scraping her teeth along his pectoral muscle before dragging her mouth up along his collarbone, nipping lightly at his skin.

Eddie cracked one eye open and reluctantly looked at the clock. It was only when he looked at the time, did he realize that he too needed sustenance. Not only had they not had lunch - in the literal sense of the word anyway as no actual food had been consumed - but they had slept right up to dinner. He looked down at Fiona and smiled softly, kissing her blonde head and trailing his lips down her neck.

"Real food, Eddie."

"Food. Right. Got it." Eddie nodded and shoved the blankets off as he got out of bed and pulled on a pair of boxers and sweatpants. "You comin'?"

Fiona smiled at him impishly and slid out of bed; "Sorry, enjoying the view."

Eddie rolled his eyes playfully and reached for her. He couldn't tease her too much. He'd rather take comfort in knowing she was still slightly impish than have his heart ripped apart time and time again by seeing her afraid of the world around her. If staring at his ass was going to bring that part of her back, than he wasn't going to complain. He may not wear pants for a while but he could make the sacrifice. He just wanted to see some of the old, impish Fiona emerge from the fearful shell of a woman that she had been after the attack.

"Should I just forget pants for a while?" Eddie teased her, looking down at the tiny blonde woman.

"If you like. You'll certainly get no complaints from me." Fiona winked at him as she moved past him and walked into the kitchen, a seductive flair in the swing of her hips.

Eddie shook his head as he chased after her. A box of pasta, some vegetables and a bottle of wine between them later, they had made themselves a decent dinner and some vegetarian dessert to go along with it. Although he usually wasn't a fan of vegetarian food, Fiona had better taste than some of the vegetarians he had crossed pathes with. Needless to say tofu was a dish that if he never ate it again, it'd be too soon. They piled up in his bed with a tray of food, two glasses of wine and a comfortable silence between them.

"Eddie, can I ask you a question?" Fiona asked him, munching on a piece of bell-pepper.

"Sure. What is it?" Eddie tilted his head back and dropped a noodle in his mouth.

"Did you have a girlfriend back home? You know...in New York?" Fiona asked him shyly.

Eddie chuckled as he thought about the few women he had been with while still living in New York. One had been a feisty red-head, that while the fling was good while it lasted, he hadn't been disappointed when it ended. The other had been a fiery brunette with dark eyes that never seemed quite right. He had never had a woman longer than a month but he had met Fiona and while didn't know how long it would last, she was the only relationship that seemed more like a relationship and less like a month long fling.

"No." Eddie shook his head. "I had a couple of flings but never a real girlfriend."

"Why?"

"None of them ever caught my interest," Eddie shrugged.

"But I did?" Fiona asked him, flushing a dark red.

"More than even I knew." Eddie told her with a soft laugh. "I won't deny that I wanted you the first day I met you...but I knew you would never go for it so I left it alone."

It was more than uncharacteristic for him to admit that he had thought about taking her against the most convenient flat surface as for the most part, he preferred to keep his less than gentlemanly thoughts to himself but she wanted to know if she caught his interest and he had to be honest. She had. In more ways than one. The initial attraction had been purely sexual. Her sharp wit, odd-ball sense of humor, and sarcastic nature had all been something of a sexual charge for a sexually deprived Eddie, who had been fresh from a plane and considering how proper one had to be to pick up a British woman for a one-night stand, at the time.

"You weren't the only one." Fiona admitted, crunching on a piece of slightly undercooked carrot. "I hated you and wanted you at the same time."

"Well it's a good thing - " Eddie set his plate on the bedside table and gently lifted Fiona's from her lap to join his as he moved closer to her and pressed his face into her collarbone, nipping at her flesh. "-We don't have that problem anymore."

"Yes, it is."

It was nearly midnight before they finally fell asleep again. Fiona, content to sleep in the safe confines of Eddie's arm, safe in the knowledge that he would protect her from harm - both in reality and in her dreams. For Eddie, the contentment had melted into pure, unadulterated joy. In the last few hours, of just talking to her and even bantering with her, he had seen more of the playful Fiona he had grown used too. She had come back to him, if only for a little bit. She had given him a glimpse of what was still underneath that rock solid armor and he had taken comfort in knowing that the old, playful, impish vixen that she had been was still in there somewhere.

And God help him, he was going to find her.

* * *

><p><strong>Unplanned update. I felt it time to bring some of the fluff back. Bring the playful vixen-ish Fiona back from the brink of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I think what happened in the last chapter is what she needed to chip away that armor that she built after what happened to her. He's bringing her back. Slowly but surely, he's breaking through the armor, bringing her through the trauma and the nightmares and he's finding that the Fiona he knows and loves is still in there. He just has to chip away at her armor little by little and draw her out of it. Leave me some love, Dolls. <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	17. Convincing

The weeks passed with relative ease. The lingering question of 'where do we go from here?' became an on-going mantra of 'we're almost there' and things were beginning to look up for Eddie and Fiona. The nightmares and flashbacks were fading with every passing day. Eddie's time spent at work slowly increased until he could spend a whole day at work without a phone call from Fiona needing him to come home. He no longer found her curled up in her bedroom, hiding in fear when he came home in the evening. It was slow but her prognosis was bright and Eddie was starting to see of her spit-fire ways made him happier than anything that had happened in the last few months.

"Eddie," Fiona padded out of the bathroom and into his bedroom, tugging a brush through her wet blonde hair. "Can I ask you a question?"

Eddie watched, his attention averted from the book, as she sat down on the edge of the bed and tugged the brush through her hair again. Her hands dropped into her lap and she looked over at him, clearly waiting for a response. He quickly closed the book and set it on the bedside table. "What is it, Fiona?"

"Am I getting better?"

Was she getting better? She was better than she had been in weeks. She was happier; brighter and a lot more interested in their intimacy than she had been initially after the attack. She was more social with people other than him and Pippin and even Pippin had taken some time. She seemed lighter, more content and free than she had in a long while. Even her laughter had changed. The subtle innocence in her laughter was returning, the childlike quality of her giggle endearing and delightful.

"Fiona, you're getting better." Eddie nodded, smiling tenderly. "You are getting so much better."

"It doesn't seem like it sometimes." Fiona shook her head, glumly.

"C'mere." Eddie motioned her over. Fiona dropped her hairbrush on the bed and crawled over to him, letting him pull her down onto his lap. He smiled as he squeezed her hip affectionately. "You hardly have any nightmares or flashbacks. You can go a full day without calling me at work. You're much more interested in our bedroom activities than before. But the best part...the best part is that spit-fire is coming back. No, you're not completely better, but I can see more of the old you coming out every day."

"So why doesn't it seem to me like I'm getting better?" Fiona asked him, resting her head on his shoulder, just needing the closeness.

"Because you don't see yourself like I do." Eddie chuckled, pressing a kiss into her soft blonde hair. "Fiona, I know you don't want to believe it, but you really are getting better, sweetheart."

Fiona squeezed her eyes shut as she buried her face in his neck and mumbled something against the warm skin. "Then why am I still scared sometimes?"

"Is that what this is about?" Eddie pulled her tighter against him, tilting his head to get a better look at her. "Honey, in case you're forgetting, it's only been a few weeks. It's alright to still be scared. You're not going to wake up one day and not be scared anymore."

"I wish it worked that way." Fiona whimpered into his neck. "I really do."

"I know, Fiona. Believe me, I do too but life isn't fair and sometimes we have to deal with things, we really don't want too." Eddie sighed, rubbing her back comfortingly. "I wish I knew what to say in this situation, Fiona but I don't."

"I - " Fiona looked up at him. "I wish I could convince myself I was getting better."

He repositioned her and pressed a hand in the center of her back, pulling her closer to him until she pressed against him. He tangled his other in her hair and pulled her down for a hotly passionate kiss that lasted until both were feeling oxygen deprived. She wrapped her arms around his neck and settled against him, straddling him to give herself more room to settle into him. Her soft cotton tank top bunched in his fingers as he pulled it up her back, desperate to get the unncessary hindrance out of the way, much too eager to show her exactly how much better she was getting.

"You are getting better." Eddie mumbled against her mouth. "You are. I see it everyday."

"Do you really think so?"

He smiled that charming, sexual smile and nodded, untangling his hand from her hair to smooth it tenderly as he rested his forehead against hers. "I really do. I think so everytime I hear you laugh when I do this."

Without warning, his fingers dug into her ribs drawing a shriek from her as she squirmed and bucked in a desperate attempt to get away from him. All it did was cause her to fall back toward the foot of the bed and pull him on top of him. He chuckled as he tickled her mercilessly, watching as her eyes teared up from the hysterical laughter. It was so different to see her crying from laughter and not from emotional trauma. By the time he stopped tickling her, her tank top was bunched up under her breasts and her flat, toned stomach was free for him to explore.

"I think," Eddie's smile was predatory as he moved lower and trailed his lips from just under the bunched hem of her tank top to her belly-button. "I think I have a way of convincing you."

"Oh do you?"

"Oh yes." Eddie grinned, licking a hot trail along the waistband of her pajama pants. "I can be quite convincing when I want too."

"You can?" Fiona quirked one eyebrow as if to show skepticism, giggling when he glowered at her playfully. "I'm sure you can, Mister Arlette."

He smirked at her, hooking one finger in her pajama pants and pulling them down just enough for him to lick along the waistband of her cotton panties, teasing her sensitive pelvic area. She gasped at the sensation, nearly arching off the bed in surprise. He alternated between kissing and licking along the waistband of her panties, trailing from hip to the other. He sucked and bit down on her hips, treating them as if they were the most delicious things he had ever tasted.

"I make a pretty convincing argument." Eddie smirked against her stomach. "Wouldn't you say?"

"Oh definitely but - " She reached down and used his shoulders to guide him up before reaching for the waistband of his sweatpants. "You've still got some arguing left to do if you intend to make your case, Detective."

"I think we can reach a deal that works for both of us. Don't you think?" Eddie breathed in her ear, pushing her pajama pants down her legs.

"I'm going to need evidence." Fiona teased him, arching her back just enough to teasingly rub her hips against his, watching him clench his jaw and nearly slam her back into the mattress. "And believe me, Detective, you're going to need to thoroughly present this evidence."

"Well that could take a while..." Eddie trailed off, kissing just behind her ear. "We could be all night."

"Whatever it takes." Fiona breathed, spreading her legs a little farther apart to allow him access. "You have a very tough jury."

"I think I can handle it."

All that was heard for the rest of the night was the sounds of a very happy couple. The simultaneous groans marking powerful releases; sharp intakes of air caught in throats when the sensation was too much for them to form a comprehensible sound. The sound of Eddie's aroused laughter and Fiona's sensual giggle as they brought each other to new heights and he continued convincing her that she was in fact getting over her trauma.

"I do love you, Eddie Arlette." Fiona panted when they collapsed next to each other, thoroughly tired after hours of him "making his case".

"I love you too, Fiona."

"Round two?"

Eddie's amused laughter as he rolled over on top of her and continued presenting all the evidence need to convince her that she was getting better. If "making his case" all night and into the morning was what it took to convince her, then so be it. You wouldn't hear any complaints from him.

Hell, he'd spend all day in bed if that's what it took.

* * *

><p><strong>Short. Could be longer but I wasn't sure what I was going to do with it. The next chapter will probably be longer. I just wanted to update to reassure you I haven't forgotten about it. Anyway, it's after midnight and I'm wide awake. I have incurable insomnia most nights. It's a problem, I cannot solve. So I'm going to go and try to cure it. Leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	18. Scared

A happy, contented sigh escaped her as floral scented steam filled the bathroom and her fingers disappeared into the thick white foam on her head, scrubbing her dirty blonde hair clean. A pair of old, ripped jeans and a black tank top rested on the counter along with Eddie's favorite light blue dress shirt. She could hear the faint hum of Eddie as he cooked breakfast in the kitchen, having disappeared early that morning to shower and cook her breakfast before he had to leave for work. She let the steamy water rinse the thick foam from her head and tilted her head back underneath the stream of hot water. A quick rinse with a creamy conditioner and refreshing scrub with her favorite body wash had Fiona stepping out of the shower feeling fresh and clean. She rubbed herself down with a thick layer of her favorite lotion and quickly dressed. The shirt nearly swallowed her petite frame and her fingertips curled around the ends of the sleeve as she padded into the kitchen and snuck up behind Eddie.

"G'morning, Eddie." She nuzzled her face into the warmth of his shoulder blade, revelling in the smoothness of the skin and the tightness of the muscle that lay beneath. She breathed deeply, inhaling his fresh, clean scent and letting it wash over her. She could feel his abs - carved and defined from years of chasing suspects and working out - writhing and rippling under her fingers as she traced random patterns on his stomach.

"Morning, Fiona."

Whatever he was doing was obviously not as important as making sure she was greeted properly because he immediately turned and wrapped his arms around her; leaning down to give her a soft kiss. The taste of her mint toothpaste and strawberry chapstick lingered on his tongue, mixing deliciously. Her lips were deliciously plump, smooth and soft as silk beneath his. Her hands moved up to his hair and gently tugged on the damp blonde locks. He pulled her closer, smiling into her mouth when she melted into him easily.

"You have to work," Fiona whispered, pulling away slightly to look at the clock hanging on the wall behind him. "Pippin will be here any minute now."

"I know." Eddie laughed, reaching down to tug on the end of his shirt. "But you stole my shirt."

"Wear the black one. It's hanging in your closet, washed, ironed and ready to go." Fiona suggested, kissing his cheek before pulling back to gently stroke the three-day stubble. "By the way, I'm really liking the scruff. It looks good."

He chuckled as he turned around to turn the stove off, kissed her head and disappeared down the hall and into his bedroom to get dressed while Fiona made herself some breakfast. He re-emerged in his preferred charcoal pants, a black-long sleeved button-down dress shirt and his charcoal jacket. His jacket was slung over his shoulder, hanging loosely from his fingers; which he had curled around the collar.

"Sharp." Fiona sent him a saucy wink as she poured herself a cup of coffee. "Eddie, I've been thinking."

"About what, honey?" Eddie asked her, shrugging into his jacket.

"I think I need to go back to work." Fiona told him, turning toward him; resting her hip against the kitchen counter and cradling her coffee mug in both hands.

"Fiona - " Eddie tried to protest, obviously unsure of the idea.

"Before you say anything, hear me out, Eddie. Please?" Fiona begged softly, looking at him pleadingly. He closed his eyes and nodded reluctantly. "Good. Look, I've been better. I don't have any panic attacks, the nightmares are all but gone and I haven't called you home early in weeks. This house is driving me mad, Eddie. I need out."

"Are you sure you're ready?" Eddie asked her, still uneasy about the idea of her returning to work. "I don't want you to feel like you have to push yourself into this."

"I'm ready." Fiona nodded, setting the mug down on the counter and making her way over to him. She wrapped her arms around his abdomen and looked up at him slyly; "Besides that, I'm tired of you doing all of the work. I want to go back to the way it was when both of us had steady jobs. I'm not going back to work in the same place. I'm not sure I'll ever go back to that store but I do want a job. I want to work. I want to be able to say that I contribute something."

"You know you don't have to do that." Eddie chastised her gently, "But if this is what you really want than I won't argue."

"I do want it." Fiona nodded excitedly, a bright smile lighting up her face. "What about a job close to Scotland Yard? That way if we decide to have to lunch together, one of us doesn't have to drive halfway across London just to enjoy a meal. And you won't worry about me"

"Okay and I'll constantly worry about you no matter where you are." Eddie nodded in agreement. "Just Fiona...?"

"What?" Fiona questioned gently. "Eddie, what's wrong?"

"Please be careful. I couldn't handle you getting hurt again." Eddie told her quietly, leaning his head down until his forehead rested on her collarbone. "I love you too much."

"I love you too, Eddie." Fiona genty raked her fingers through his hair and wrapped her other arm around his shoulder. "I'll be careful, I promise. Okay?"

"Okay." Eddie nodded against her collarbone, pressing a hot kiss to the soft skin.

"Now go. I hear Pippin's car." Fiona giggled, pushing him away gently. She leaned up to kiss him; "Have a good day at work, Eddie."

xxx

"I got a job!"

It's a couple of days after their conversation when she bounces up to him with the news. Her hazel eyes are alight with happiness and a bright smile tugs at her lips as she flounces into his office, cheerfully chanting the good news. His vision is blurred slightly from his intent focus on the open folder in front of him; slamming it shut when his eyes come into focus and he realizes she's there. She doesn't need to know about the brutality of their latest case. She doesn't need to know any of it, really. She's coming back from the brink of Post-Traumatic Stress and right she's happy, he won't let his idiocy ruin that should he leave the folder.

"Where?" Eddie asked her, standing up and moving around his desk to stand in front of her.

"It's a cosmetic shop around the corner." Fiona almost screamed happily. "It pays good, the hours are semi-flexible and it's not far from here!"

"Fiona," Eddie chuckled, scooping the excited blonde up into his arms and spinning her around. "That's great!"

"You think?" Fiona asked him unsurely, needing his reassurance that she could go back to work.

"Would it make any difference if I told you otherwise?" Eddie retorted flatly, chuckling when she tossed her head back and giggled. "You're a grown woman. If you think you're ready to go back to work, then you'll go no matter what I say."

"I know that, Eddie...but.." Fiona trailed off, unsure of what to say. "But I want to know that I won't worry you by going back to work."

"Fiona, haven't you learned yet that I constantly worry about you?" Eddie laughed, tangling his fingers in her hair and settling his palm against the back of her head so that he could pull her down for a kiss.

Coffee. Yes, intermingling with the mint of her toothpaste and the strawberry chaptstick was a hint of strong coffee. She opened her mouth, drawing him deeper into the kiss. His arms settle around her waist and her legs wrap around him, small hands settling on his neck. She almost mewled at the feel of his hard body settling against hers. She clutched him like a life-line, needing as much of him as he was willing to give to her.

"Eddie," Fiona whimpered, unconsciously rolling her hips against his abdomen. "Eddie, I need to go. We can't do this here."

Eddie reluctantly set her down and kissed her one last time before letting her leave. He sat down at his desk, tucking as much of his lower body as he can under the slick wood. There's no need for the whole of Scotland Yard to know what his girlfriend could do to him - both in private and apparently in public. His breathing was heavy and his mind was so far away from the case that he can't even comprehend what he's looking at when he gets back to the work at hand.

"Focus, Arlette!" He mentally scolded himself for even thinking about such a thing at work.

Later that night, when they crawl into bed, she'll curl up in his arms like a small child and the confessions will start. She'll tell him that she's scared to go back to work because she doesn't want to be held hostage again. She'll tell him that she's afraid the panic attacks and the nightmares and everything she just started getting over will return. She'll tell him that she's not sure if she's really ready or if she's just forcing herself to be. And he'll listen to her. He'll have the patience to listen to her and when she's done, he'll reassure her. He'll tell her that she has nothing to worry about. He'll tell her that he wouldn't let her go back to work if he didn't think she was ready and he'll tell her that he'll be right around the corner if she needs him.

And he'll tell her that it's okay for her to be scared because he's scared too.

But the most reassuring thing he'll tell her is that he loved her.

* * *

><p><strong>I'm ba-ack! This chapter took me a grand total of three or four re-writes but here it is! I wanted Fiona to try and get back to normal but still have a lingering fear because of what happened. She's not traumatized but she's still not 100% either. It's taking some time but she's getting there. Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	19. Calm Before The Storm

He wasn't quite sure what to expect when he arrived home.

She had been working for a week now - give or take, a few days - and had seemed relatively well-adjusted and back to her normal spit-fire self. However, he knew how easily that could change. Trauma could have unpredictable effects on someone and he knew that Fiona wouldn't be any different. What he found when he arrived home was shockig, to say the least. He knew that she was home because her car was in the driveway but there was a decided lack of music and the absence of light alerted him to the fact that something wasn't quite right. He kicked off his shoes, dropped his wallet and keys on the table by the door, as was his usual routine, and made his way through the house. He found her in the living room, laying on the couch in one of his t-shirts and a pair of shorts, sleeping soundly. The TV flashed on mute; credits of some old British movie scrolling across the screen.

"Fi-ona," Eddie sang, kneeling down next to the couch. He gently trailed his fingers down the side of her face and along her jawline. "Fiona, let's get you into bed."

Her sleepy hazel eyes blinked open slowly, a tired smile curling her lips at the corners when she realized why she was being woken up. "Eddie?" She rubbed her bleary eyes as she sat up to get a better look at him. "When did you get home?"

"Just a few minutes ago." Eddie told her softly, looking around. "Sweetheart, why are you in here?"

"I wanted to wait up for you." Fiona yawned. "I was too tired, I suppose."

"You didn't have to wait up." Eddie chuckled, standing up. He reached down and scooped her up into his arms, dropping a kiss into her hair. "Let's get you to bed."

A sigh of contentment escaped her as she snuggled into the warmth of Eddie's embrace. He kissed her head again as he carried her into his bedroom and set her on the bed. He carefully tucked her under the covers, watching in amusement as she snuggled down into the bed and her breathing evened out. He made quick work of changing out of his work clothes and into his pajamas before crawling into bed with her. He wasn't at all surprised when she abandoned the pillow in favor of burying herself in his arms.

xxx

"So how's work?"

The sunshine streamed through the window in a thin film of gold light, illuminating her messy blonde hair. She's perched precariously on the counter, legs dangling and fingers curled around the edge. Her shimmering hazel eyes watch him cook from her perch near the stove. His blonde hair was messy and the gold light slipped through the blonde strands with ease, his blue eyes are sleepy but the fluidity of his movements give away the fact that he's alert and focused on his task. He's cooking without his t-shirt - which she had slipped on this morning after he had shed it during the night - allowing her full view of his abs, pecs and biceps.

"Work is work." Fiona giggled from the counter sipping orange juice from the glass in her hand.

"Well judging from the position I found you in last night, I'd say it's also exhausting." Eddie chuckled, flipping the pancakes onto a plate.

"Yeah, but I'm glad to be back working so it's not so bad." Fiona shrugged, draining the last of her orange juice. "How's your job?"

"Horrifying and hilarious all rolled into one package." Eddie grinned up at her, spatula in hand, ready to flip the last pancake onto the plate. "The cases are horrifying and Pippin is hilarious."

"He's a good Inspector though." Fiona laughed at him softly, "Like the modern day Holmes and Watson of Scotland Yard, you two are."

"I wouldn't go that far." Eddie grinned despite himself at her compliment before shrugging and smirking in that overly-confident way only he can do. "Okay, so maybe I would..."

"And this is what I get for complimenting him..." Fiona giggled her retort, her hazel eyes sparkling in childish delight.

The pancakes are done and the stove is turned off. He dropped the spatula into the sink and moved toward her, a predatory glint in his eye and a sly grin tugging at his lips. His fingers move toward her ribs but he underestimated Fiona's ability to predict him and found himself locked in a hot kiss before his hands can even reach their destination. It only took her wrapping her legs around his waist to get him where she wanted him. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, forgetting his previous mission to tickle her.

"There's someone at the door," She pulled away at the sound of a heavy, insistent knock on her front door. "I have to answer it."

"Fine."

His eyes widen and his teeth sink into his lip as she wrapped her arms around his neck and jumped down from the counter, her lithe body grinding against his in a deliciously sensual manner. The friction and the heat created by her body moving against his was enough to propel him forward and grip the counter in a white-knuckled grip. His breathing was heavy and he was pretty sure neither of them will be seeing much of the outside world after whoever was at the door leaves.

"Breathe, Eddie." Fiona giggled from the foyer as she tugged the door open.

The giggle died on her lips and she suddenly felt very exposed standing at the door in a t-shirt - Eddie's t-shirt nonetheless - and a tiny pair of shorts. Her hazel eyes dim and she's pretty sure every bit of happiness that had at one time inhabited her being has drained and the dark mood that tok over when the visitor standing on the other side of the door made an appearance, has slithered in like a snake on the prowl.

There standing at the door, ash-blonde hair pinned up and dark eyes examining her daughter with a look of utter disdain was none other than, Eloise Bickerton.

"Mother..."

* * *

><p><strong>This chapter is a filler. Something I needed to write not only in order to lead into the next chapter but also cure my writer's block. It's short - as most filler chapters are - and it probably sucks but I needed to post. I feel like I've abandoned my dear readers for both this fandom and the Human Target fandom. Mentioning Human Target, I may or may not have something in the works *innocent whistle* (not that I can whistle, I can't. I've tried.) Anywho, I sincerely hope you can forgive me for abandoning you. Leave me some love, Dolls.<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	20. Hurricane, thy name is Eloise

"Fiona Bickerton!" Eloise's gasp of indignation drew Fiona back to the reality that she was standing before her mother - whom, might she add, was more than a little prim and proper - in nothing more than Eddie's t-shirt and a pair of shorts. "What on earth was that you are wearing? Surely those are not your night clothes?"

"Mother," Fiona repeated, fiddling with the hem of her, oh erm, hist-shirt awkwardly as she opened the door wider to let her mother in. "I wasn't expecting your visit."

"I decided to drop by after I heard about your little, oh ahem, what did they call it? Oh yes, hostage incident." Her gloves slid off of her hands and hit the table with a light thud. She shrugged out of her coat and tossed the heavy blue fabric over to Fiona. "Do be a dear and hang that properly."

Fiona could only sigh as she hung her mother's coat on the coat rack and hurried to catch up with her before she could find Eddie in the kitchen. She was dashing through the living room when she heard her mother's gasp of surprise and knew it's too late. With nothing to do but face the situation directly, Fiona made her way into the kitchen and idled up beside Eddie, who was caught between glaring regretfully at her mother or grabbing her and making a getaway. While she would love nothing more than for him to pull the latter off, she knew that the latter just wasn't feasible at this time.

"Mother, you remember Eddie Arlette," The introduction was awkward to say the least, for all involved. Her mother's head tilted in confusion as she awkwardly slipped her hand into Eddie's already outstretched hand. "Mother, he's renting this place from you. Remember?"

"Oh yes."

"Eddie, this was my mother, Eloise Bickerton." Fiona shoved her hands toward her mother, unsure of what to do with them. "The woman who you're renting this flat from."

"I wasn't aware you and my daughter were acquainted, Mister Arlette." Eloise's confusion was understandable to both of them but at the same time, the awkward position it put them in was slightly off-putting to say the least. "And Fiona, aren't you supposed to be attending university?"

It was after that question that Eddie chose to make his getaway. It was as smooth as it could be with a confused and slightly indignant Eloise Bickerton in the room but Fiona had to give him credit for trying. That wasn't to say she hadn't felt the comforting hand he slid across her back as he slipped out of the room. She'd love to follow but her mother's confused look - while hilarious - made it clear she had a lot of explaining to do as far as Eddie and her supposed University life are concerned.

"Well, Mother, you see it's like this..." Fiona let her hazel eyes dart around the room as she searched for the proper way to explain the situation to her mother. "I'm not attending University. When I moved out of the house, I moved into this flat."

"I can see that, Fiona." Eloise snapped, glaring at her daughter. "Why did you lie to me?"

"Because I knew that if I didn't, you'd never let me move out of the house." Fiona snapped, already impatient with her mother, who hadn't been there for all of about five minutes. "I didn't want to go to University but also knew that was the only chance I had of getting out of the house so I lied."

"Fiona Elyse Bickerton," Eloise's cold voice quickly alerted Fiona to the coming storm. "I cannot believe you would lie to your mother and father."

"Well it was the only way I could get away from you!" Fiona fought back, quick to defend herself, even against her own mother. "I needed away from you, Mother. You controlled every aspect of my life and I hated it. I wanted out."

"What about your father?" Her mother's dark eyes hardened at the mention of Fiona's father.

"He knew." Fiona shrugged, looking at the floor as if she was a small child being scolded - which, if the hardened eyes of her mother was any indication, in a lot of ways she was just that. "He let me do it."

"I can't believe this.."

"Look, Mother, we'll talk about this later. I really have to get to work. I just started my new job and I don't have any sick days." Fiona rushed out of the kitchen and to her room to get dressed.

She was in the middle of pulling her favorite pink blouse over her head when a knock on the doorframe alerted to the fact that she had left the door open and that Eddie hadn't left for work yet. Leaning up against the doorframe, dressed in a pair of black dress pants and a charcoal blue shirt, Eddie looked concerned and slightly pissed off. If she hadn't of been so distracted by the conversation she had just had, she might have found it funny that her mother could piss off someone she barely knew.

"You okay?" Eddie asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.

"I will be." Fiona shrugged, slipping her feet into a pair of flats. "She's my Mother."

"Okay." Eddie took her at her word, choosing to keep his mouth shut on what he thought of the woman. "You get off at five today right?"

"Yeah." Fiona nodded, twisting her blonde hair up into a simple bun and pinning it in place. "You coming to pick me up?"

"If no cases come in, then yeah I'll be there." Eddie nodded, pushing off of the doorframe with his shoulder as she walked over to him. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"I'm fine, Eddie." Fiona smiled up at him, leaning up to kiss him quickly. "Have a good day at work."

"You too. I'll see you tonight." Eddie kissed her forehead, "Love you."

"Love you too."

xxx

It was blatantly obvious to Eloise Bickerton that Eddie Arlette had made himself quite comfortable in both the home he was renting from her and her daughter's life. The former she could handle, the latter she was appalled by. The man must have been at least sixteen years older than her daughter and while she was sure he was a nice man, she wasn't sure he was what her daughter needed. She was still reeling from the very fact that her daughter lied to her. She wasn't sure she could handle anything else.

As she meandered around the home her daughter was sharing with the man, the same home the man was supposed to be renting from her not sharing with Fiona, she couldn't help but notice touches of both of them. A single tube of toothpaste yet two distinct toothbrushes. A dark green bottle of men's shampoo and a white bar of men's soap had found their place on the same shelf as her daughter's shampoo and shower gels. Her daughter's bed looked as if it hadn't been slept in, in weeks whereas the room she assumed was Eddie's looked slept in on both sides. There were distinct touches of her daughter in the room such as the pile of hair pins on the nightstand along with the hairbrush and several hair ties.

Her daughter's clothes were scattered haphazardly around the room and she was shocked at the thought of what exactly her daughter and _that man _had been doing. Actually, correction, she preferred not to think about it. She left the room, horrified at the thought and shocked that her daughter would do such a thing with a man so much older than her.

"Mother," Fiona's voice carried through the house. "We're home. Eddie, take this bag, my arm is numb."

Eddie's amused chuckle followed by the shuffle of a bag being transferred from one arm to another carried through the house. Eloise made her way to the dining room, careful not to examine the rest of the house as closely as she had examined the bedroom, scared of what she might find. Fiona and Eddie made quick work of setting the table and arranging dinner in a presentable fashion. Eggplant parmesan and a variety of side-dishes including a garden salad were set out before her and three glasses of chilled white wine were poured.

"Dinner, Mother." Fiona murmured softly, still awkward around her mother after their spat that morning. "I hope you're hungry."

"Starved." Eloise snipped, taking a seat at the end of the table.

Eddie said nothing as he took a seat beside Fiona, who seemed a lot more interested in her glass of wine than the meal before her. The food was passed silently and if there had been a time when dinner with her mother was any less awkward, Fiona struggled to remember it. Only the sound of forks meeting plates could be heard and the slosh of wine being poured. Fiona resisted the urge to roll her eyes when Eloise refilled her glass for the third time.

"Mother, perhaps you should slow down?" Fiona suggested, trying - and failing - to smile sweetly at her mother in hopes she wouldn't take it the wrong way.

"Why should I?" Eloise snapped, her voice hard and cold. "In one day I find out that not only did my daughter lie to me about attending university but she's also living with the man whom I thought was the only resident of this flat and they're in a relationship -"

"Mother," Fiona sighed, looking over at Eddie who just raised his eyebrows in question and squeezed her knee under the table.

"What, Fiona? Did you think I wouldn't figure it out?" Eloise laughed sarcastically, "That's ironic. Wouldn't you agree? Mistaking your mother for an idiot when you're the idiot in this if you think I'm going to let this continue."

"Okay, whoa!" Eddie dropped his fork mid-bite and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Last I checked, Fiona was twenty-four, which makes her a grown woman both here and where I'm from. I know of couples with a whole hell of a lot more than just sixteen years between them. I don't think we should be on the top of your list of problems, considering your husband is in Paris right now, cheating on you with some French waitress who probably speaks little to no English and couldn't pick her last boyfriend out of a line-up."

"How dare you!" Eloise gasped indignantly.

"How dare I? What did I do?" Eddie barked roughly; the same voice he'd use with a suspect in custody. "I told you the truth. And the truth hurts, Missus Bickerton. The truth is you are nothing more than a bully of a mother and I only did what you won't let your daughter do. I defended her. You've made it blatantly obvious you don't approve of her lifestyle when the simple fact of the matter is Fiona is too stubborn to live her life in a way that doesn't suit her. She'll live her life the way she wants too. Not the way you expect her too."

"Well Mister Arlette - "

"I'm not done." Eddie cut her off with a shake of his head. "You may not approve of what we're doing and I don't particularly care. What I do care about is how much you hurt your daughter by trying to control her. I lost my apetite. I'm going to bed."

With that said, he drained the rest of his wine, stood up and kissed Fiona on her head before disappearing down the hall. Fiona clenched her fingers around the stem of her wine glass and kept her eyes on her plate, only looking up at the startling slam of Eddie's bedroom door. She fiddled with the stem before taking a sip of the cold wine and looking up at her mother.

"He's protective."

"Clearly."

"Mother, you had to have known I'd move out eventually." Fiona pleaded with her to understand. "I was tired of my entire life being planned for me. I didn't want to go to a University or marry some lawyer just to become a reclusive housewife who puts up with a cheating husband. I'd rather be on my own. No, I didn't count on living with Eddie and we didn't like each other at first. But things change. I love him, Mother. Okay? I love him. And I won't give him up or the life I've chosen for myself just because you don't understand or approve of it. I've spoken my peace. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to bed. You're welcome to the guest room."

Nothing else was said as Fiona stood up and carried her dishes into the kitchen, dropping them in the sink to be washed the next morning. She didn't even spare a glance at her mother as she disappeared down the hall and into her room to change. Eloise was left sitting at the table alone with her dinner, everything her daughter had just told her echoing in her mind. She didn't want to admit it but she knew her daughter was right. Fiona wouldn't be controlled by anyone. Not even her own mother.

xxx

"Eddie?"

Eddie looked up at the sound of her timid voice to see her poking her head in the door reluctantly. He just smiled affectionately and motioned for her to come in. She hurried in and closed the door behind her before standing by the bed, awkwardly playing with her shirt. The realization that she wasn't quite sure who he was mad at dawned on him quickly and seemed to set a fire under him as he scrambled out of bed and over to her.

"Hey," Eddie wrapped his arms around her waist and tugged her closer. "Hey, I'm not mad at you, alright? I'm mad at what she can do to you. I'm mad at her."

"I know." Fiona nodded, wrapping her arms around his abdomen and tucking her face into his shoulders. "I'm just - "

"Hurt? Angry?" Eddie offered, stroking her hair tenderly. "Sweetheart, I don't blame you for being hurt, angry, wanting to damn her to the very depths of hell. I don't blame you at all. I should be apologizing to you though."

"For what, Eddie?" Fiona looked up at him in confusion.

"For blurting out that your father was cheating on your mother. I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have even looked into it." Eddie shook his head, looking down at her. "I'm sorry."

"Eddie, my father has been cheating on my mother for as long as I can remember." Fiona shook her head, "It's not anything new."

"I'm not sorry I defended you though." Eddie told her, leaning closer to her until his lips were almost touching hers.

"Well you are protective." Fiona let her arms slide around his neck.

"Very, very protective." Eddie finally closed the distance between them.

Fiona moaned into his mouth; opening her own mouth to deepen the kiss. Eddie pulled her closer and moved them toward the bed; gently laying her down on it before crawling on top of her. She gasped in relief when he finally settled himself between her legs and moved in hard, slow circles. When he reached for her shorts she knew she had to stop him. She wanted too. Oh-dear-God did she want too but with her mother in house, she knew it'd be weird.

"Eddie, I want too." Fiona reached for his hands. "I do. But I'd feel weird doing it with my Mother of all people in the house."

"That's true." Eddie sighed, rolling off of her onto his side of the bed. "Damn."

"When she leaves, I'll make it up to you though." Fiona's salacious grin was full of secret promises of things to come the minute her mother was gone.

"I'm holding you too that." Eddie murmured against her ear, sucking on her earlobe slightly.

For now he'd have to settle with having her buried in his arms while they slept. Her head settled on his chest, her ear settled over his heart as she let the dulcet beat lull her too sleep. He was positive he had never had such an eventful day between Fiona's mother and the antics of his Scotland Yard colleagues. Although he was quite certain he'd rather deal with the latter than the former. Eloise Bickerton was almost more than he could handle. The thought made him laugh as he looked down at the woman sleeping on his chest.

Like mother, like daughter.

* * *

><p><strong>Good Lord this chapter was so damn easy! I turned on 'She Will Be Loved' by Maroon Five and bam! It just kind of spilled out! The plot bunnies are out of hibernation - so if this story never ends, don't hold it against me. Lol! I'm just kidding. I'm sure this story will run it's course I'm just not sure it'll be anytime soon. Anyway, I hope you like! Leave me some Love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. There's something about that song that just makes writing both Christopher Chance and Eddie Arlette so easy for me. **


	21. Of Giggles and Panic Attacks

Eloise Bickerton awoke with the need to fight. She would not have her daughter's "boyfriend" or whatever her daughter was trying to justify him as speaking to her in the manner, he had the night before. It was unacceptable and both of them would be hearing about it. She's ready to stomp into the kitchen, prepared for battle when something stops her. She stopped short of the living room doorway when she heard her daughter's giggle. It's not the fake, high-pitched giggle of a ditzy blonde forced to attend one of her parent's dinner parties - Lord knows Eloise had heard that one plenty of times when Fiona was a teenager. This giggle is different. It's genuine. It's softer; tinkling like a little bell. It's playful and childish. It reminds Eloise of when Fiona was a mere child and giggling that little bell-like giggle when she was being scolded. Perhaps it was the innocence. The innocence of a child not knowing that while her friends could play in jeans and t-shirts and get dirty, she had to wear dresses like a proper young lady and stay out of the puddles of rain water that her friends splashed in.

Fiona had been so innocent as a child and her giggles had reflected that.

That was the last time Eloise had ever heard her daughter giggle in such a manner; with each passing year Fiona's laughter had grown increasingly and alarmingly ditzy and fake. Until now. Now it seemed as if the genuine, child-like giggle had returned. She wondered what her daughter could be giggling about so early in the morning and discretely peeked into the living room where they were. Looking perfectly relaxed and for all the world like a genuinely happy - not that Eloise would know what that looked like - couple, Eddie and Fiona were doing nothing more than enjoying Saturday morning television. Eddie was sitting against the arm of the couch, his arm resting on the arm and his other arm wrapped securely around the small blonde tucked into his side; her messy blonde ponytail splayed out on Eddie's shoulder.

"Do you have to work today?"

"Not today. Had another Inspector take my shift." Eddie twisted his body around so that he faced Fiona, when he noticed that her giggling stopped completely. "Something wrong, sweetheart?"

"I have Saturdays off and I'm not sure I want to be alone with my Mother." Fiona admitted, her voice small and quiet as if she's too shy to even say a word to anyone. She's so drawn into herself - more so than Eloise ever remembered her being. Eloise can only remember the bright child she used to be. The one who seemed brave and fearless but restrained to the tight confines of a proper societal upbringing. Her daughter was like a caged bird, constantly wanting to take flight but never able to because of always having the wings of her creativity clipped and always having the door between restraint and society and exploring the world, closed in her face.

She had trapped her daughter in a world, that Fiona's naturally adventurous spirit just wasn't meant for. She had left her daughter no room to learn from mistakes, explore the world and see for herself what life outside of proper society had to offer. She had been so strict and kept her daughter so tightly restrained to keep her from making mistakes that now she felt as if she was constantly making mistakes because she wasn't living her life like her mother wanted. She didn't even want to be left alone with her own mother for fear of screwing up.

"You don't have the best relationship with your Mother," Eddie's observation drew a dry chuckle from her daughter who just looked at Eddie like he had no idea - and he doesn't, but Eloise thought Fiona might be on the verge of sharing. "What happened?"

"I was always too adventurous for my own good. At least that's what Mother said." Fiona shrugged, "I didn't understand it. All I knew was that while other kids were playing in jeans and t-shirts, I had to wear ridiculous dresses and sit properly and stand a certain way. I couldn't eat without being instructed on how a lady holds her fork. It was a ridiculous world. I wanted to explore. I wanted to find out what life was like but I never had any room. I could never make mistakes. I could never quite escape that world. College seemed to be my only way out so I took it. I did attend college. For three months before I realized that it was nothing more than a boarding school for adults. I hated it."

"Your mother didn't see it your way?"

"No. Not in the slightest. We always fought. I wanted to explore. I wanted to learn for myself but she wouldn't let me. I had to do things her way." Fiona looked down, shoulders slumping forward in exhaustion - the type of exhaustion no twenty-four year old should ever experience. "I had a very restrained childhood. Very strict and proper. A childhood that I would wish on nobody. Nobody should ever have to go through what I went through. I wanted out constantly. The only way out was my father who understood. He understood my need to be out from under my mother's society wing."

"Did you ever tell your mother any of this?" Eddie asked her, reaching for his girlfriend's hand.

"Constantly but she never listened." Fiona looked up at him, squeezing his hand tightly. "I was much happier on my own than under her wing but I couldn't make her understand that."

Her daughter. Her own daughter had felt trapped and smothered as a child but Eloise had been a society snob and had put her own need for a social status above her daughter's happiness. She had never bothered to care about what society might have been doing to her daughter. She never cared to see that much like she had been in her childhood, Fiona was her own person. She needed her independence. Perhaps if she had bothered to put her daughter's happiness above her own social standing, she might not have been standing out of view of the couple in the living room, listening in on a conversation that was giving her new insight into her daughter.

"I'm sorry, Fiona."

xxx

She can't bear to stay in the house any longer but there never seemed to be a right time to leave. Her suitcases are packed and she's fully prepared to disappear back into the world of high society. Her daughter was clearly happy with the way her life was going and after witnessing the conversation earlier that morning between Eddie and Fiona, it's obvious there's nothing she can do to change that. She didn't want too.

She's tucked away in the guest bedroom, unable to confront either Eddie or Fiona, when she heard the unmistakable sound of something shattering followed by a sharp, frightened scream. Her maternal instincts kicked in and she rushed to the kitchen to see what the commotion was about. It wasn't more than Fiona simply losing her grip on a wet dish but the fear in her hazel eyes quickly alerted Eloise to her daughter having a problem than ran far deeper than just having broken a dish that could be easily replaced.

"Fiona?" Eddie bolted into the kitchen, reaching for Fiona without a second thought. "Hey are you alright?"

Frozen to the spot, Fiona numbly pointed to the shattered remnants of a porcelain plate laying on the tile floor. Eddie looked between the broken dish and Fiona, wondering why the broken dish would cause such a panic in his girlfriend. Her hazel eyes had darkened considerably and she looked for all the world as if her mind was blurring that line between fleeting memory and vivid flashback. It doesn't take but a second for realization to flood Eddie.

It hadn't been the dish at all but the sound it made.

"Hey, it's just a plate." Eddie squeezed her hand, pulling her closer. "Fiona, it's just a plate, honey. Look."

Her dark eyes barely manage to spare a glance at the broken dish on the floor. It's only when Eddie's voice resonated, thick and deep, in her ear does she manage to look at it for more than a second. It took everything she had not to give in to that fleeting panic that kept her on edge. The hostage situation hadn't quite faded into a distant memory and some days she could feel herself walking that fine line between being okay and wanting to just give into the panic. Today she was definitely edging more toward panicky and nervous.

"Whatever is the matter with you, Fiona?" Eloise can't help but murmur, despite her best attempt to keep quiet. "You're shaken and pale. What has happened?"

"Six weeks ago, Fiona was held at gunpoint in the store she worked at." Eddie told her quietly, squeezing Fiona's hand as he turned to her. "Fiona?"

"I'll be in your room, Eddie." Fiona mumbled, an embarrassed flush spreading from her cheeks down her neck and chest as she darted out of the kitchen.

Eddie sighed as he turned toward the pantry to grab the necessary supplies to clean up the mess. He swept up the large pieces of glass first and disposed of them before carefully and thoroughly sweeping up the smaller pieces. He was very thorough, Eloise noted. More thorough than any maid would have been. He had even swept his hand along the area, checking for any slivers of porcelain he may have missed. once the plate was cleaned up and disposed of, he put the broom away and retrieved several items to prepare for lunch.

"What happened to my daughter, Detective?" Eloise asked him point-blank, sitting down at the kitchen table and dropping her hands into her lap. "I want to know. Why was she acting like that?"

"It happened two months ago." Eddie sighed, easily slicing a few cherry tomatoes in half to prepare a salad. He dropped the knife onto the cutting board and turned to her. "Fiona worked at a cosmetic store downtown. I don't know if you knew about that."

"That was the one part of my daughter's life, I was aware of, yes." Eloise nodded, motioning for him to continue.

Eddie sighed as he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest. "It's not an easy story to tell. Some idiot, an incompetent bastard, really, walked in and held up a gun. Told everyone in the store to get down or get shot. They followed orders."

"Fiona was one of them." Eloise understood immediately.

"Luckily she's small. The agents who went in almost didn't find her. I learned later that she had balled herself up in a corner." Eddie dropped his arms to his sides and clenched his fists. " Anyway, we negotiated for hours. We got nowhere. He had given no indication of what he wanted so we were negotiating something that may or may not have existed. We were in the middle of negotiating when the shots were fired."

"Was my daughter shot?" Eloise was shaking worse than her daughter had been, despite Eddie shaking his head.

"No. No. It was the display cases." Eddie sighed, "Six bullets took out the display cases without a problem. The glass flew. A piece lodged in Fiona's scalp. She got it removed and her scalp was stitched up. It's healed and she's fine. She's relied on sleeping pills for a month to be able to sleep. The flashbacks kept me home for a while but she got through it. We got through it. The memories, the flashbacks, they aren't as bad but they're not gone. She bordered on a Post Traumatic Stress diagnosis for a couple of weeks."

"My daughter was almost killed and I...I treated her like she was an incompetent child." Eloise reeled back in shock. "How could I - ?"

"Before you go blaming yourself, let me clue you in to something. When I first started renting this house, I thought Fiona was nothing but a pain in my ass." Eddie told her softly, walking over to the table. He leaned down, resting his hands against it. "But then I realized that the reason I hated her so bad was because I saw so much of myself in her. Yes, okay, maybe she's stubborn but that's one of the reasons she survived. Her stubbornness...that fiery determination you see in her...that's why your daughter survived. That's why I love her. Because she's so determined to live life in her own way. I know it may seem like she has no idea what she's doing with her life but she does. She has a better grip on how to live than most. Because of how she lives. She lives on her own, essentially. Yes, I live here but Fiona is still independent. She can make it on her own if she has too and she has. She's made it on her own...far better than I did at her age. I don't know what you think of her now that you know all of this but just know this...your daughter is the reason I haven't left London yet."

"Mister Arlette," Eloise looked up at him curiously. "I've been a horrible person and for that I'd like to sincerely apologize. I'm hoping both you and my daughter could forgive me?"

"Missus Bickerton, you need not ask for my forgiveness. Your daughter should be your first priority." Eddie nodded toward Fiona's room. "I think it's time you two had a chat."

Eloise nodded and stood up, starting toward Fiona's room only to turn on her heel and meet Eddie's eyes. For the first time since she had arrived, Eddie saw the genuine gratitude in her eyes. Her voice was soft and sincere as she spoke; "Thank you, Mister Arlette."

And as she continued down the hall to speak with her daughter, Eddie couldn't help but think about how much alike Eloise and Fiona truly were. They were stubborn, determined and no-nonsense women but when need be they were full of class and grace and spoke with such sincerity that you'd almost wonder if it was real.

Perhaps Eloise and Fiona had more in common than they thought.

* * *

><p><strong>So once again, I turned to my ever faithful muse, She Will Be Loved by Maroon 5 for this chapter and finished it in just a few minutes. I love doing that! Anyway, I had to tweak it to make just how I wanted it and the whole monologue that Eddie gives to Fiona's mother was unplanned but when I started writing it, I just thought what the hell, I'll keep it just because I liked it and because well...my muse is an odd thing :) Anyway, I hope you like this. Leave me some love, Dolls. <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. The reason I started off with Eloise listening to her daughter giggle and then seeing her daughter freak out like she did was because this chapter was to in part show you, the readers, and show the character of Fiona's mother just how much her daughter has changed from that innocent little girl to a grown woman with a life of her own. **


	22. Apology

"Fiona?" Her knock was rather hesitant and shy; unsure if her daughter even cared to see or speak to her ever again. If there was one thing Eloise hated about apologizing, it was the awkwardness leading up the apology. She hardly ever had to apologize - actually, correction she hardly ever apologized, even when necessary - so the awkwardness was never something she could overcome. She tentatively knocked again, hoping to at least get some semblance of a response out of her daughter. "Fiona, may we talk?"

The click of the lock was followed the slight squeak of hinges in need of oil as the door opened and a blonde head peeked out to look at the woman standing on the other side. Her eyes were red and slightly swollen, her top lip looked as if she had nearly chewed it bloody and her hair was a mess. All in all, she looked like a scared child. Her voice was thick and shaking just ever so slightly as she tried to control her shock; "Mother?"

"Fiona, I think we need to talk." Eloise told her daughter quietly. "May I come in?"

Fiona opened the door wider and swept her hand out in a motion similar to the one Eloise would use to usher guests into her home. Eloise let her eyes sweep the room, marveling at how very Fiona the room was. Fiona made her way back to the bed and sat down on the edge, looking up at her mother. "You wanted to talk. So..talk."

"Fiona," Eloise sighed awkwardly, completely unsure of where she should begin. "It has come to my attention that I was wrong."

"Wrong?" Fiona sputtered, unable to believe that of all the opinions her mother could spout off until she was blue in the face, when it came time for her to apologize the best she could do was say something terribly awkward about being wrong. She practically leaped off of the bed and sent her mother a scornful look. "Wrong? Mother, wrong is not getting the facts before you state your opinion. Wrong is doing something you shouldn't. We gave you the facts. We laid down everything there was to know about the way we work. About our relationship but you still spouted off your opinion. Mother, what you did hurt - "

"I know that, Fiona." Eloise interrupted her daughter, "Believe me, I know."

"Mother - "

"Fiona Elyse Bickerton, will you please allow me to finish before you interrupt?" Eloise sighed in exasperation. "Fiona, I'm trying to apologize here but you're not making it easy. I'm starting to wonder how Eddie has any patience."

"He doesn't."

"Fiona, listen to me." Eloise stood up and caught her daughter by the arm. "I talked with Mister Arlette and aside from his initial thoughts that you were a pain in his ass, he loves you. And he enlightened me to a few things that I wish I had known before I went off on you. Fiona, if I had known that you were held hostage, I never would have said those things. Especially now that I know it was Mister Arlette who was with you through your recovery."

"It's not something I talk about, Mum." Fiona shrugged, "It's nothing to do with you but I'm finally okay and talking about it just seems to bring everything back."

"I also realized that maybe if I had given you more freedom as a child than we wouldn't have such a strained relationship." Eloise told her daughter softly. Fiona could honestly say she had never heard her mother sound as sincere as she did then.

"Mum - " Fiona tried to interrupt but Eloise held up her hand.

"I'm truly sorry about everything that has happened over the last couple of days." Eloise apologized sincerely. "You have a life that you truly enjoy and I have no right to tell you whether that life is right or wrong just because it isn't the life I thought you'd have. You're happy and you have a man that loves you. He truly loves you. I won't interfere any longer."

"You're forgiven, Mum. And thank you." Fiona smiled sweetly.

"Now, shall we see what that detective of yours has cooked up for lunch?" Fiona offered her arm to her daughter.

Fiona nodded and linked her arm with her mother's. They made their way into the kitchen, talking and laughing, clearly enjoying the new phase they had reached in their relationship. When they reached the kitchen, they found Eddie setting the table. He smiled when he heard them come into the kitchen giggling like children. It seemed as if their conversation had been productive and Eloise had sincerely apologized to her daughter.

"I see you ladies made up." Eddie smiled, looking up at them.

"Yes, thank you, Mister Arlette." Eloise smiled before inquiring. "May I call you Eddie?"

"I insist. Mister Arlette is my father." Eddie nodded, pulling out a seat for her. "Have a seat. I'll get you some wine."

She nodded in gratitude as she took a seat. Eddie looked over at Fiona, who just smiled happily and winked subtly. He just chuckled knowingly and pulled her chair out for her. She'd thank him later, he could count on it. For now, she just wanted to enjoy lunch with her mother. He went back to grab the wine bottle and three wine glasses. Lunch was served soon after and for once, it was a pleasant occasion with laughter and animated conversation all around.

xxx

It was only later when her mother had retired to the guest room did Fiona thank Eddie. Her mother had excused herself to the guest room immediately after lunch and it was while Eddie was doing the dishes - of all things - that she realized how truly amazing he was. Not only was he sexy as all hell but he was truly amazing and she wasn't sure she'd ever be able to thank him enough for what he had done for her relationship with her mother.

"So your relationship with your mother...?" Eddie looked over at Fiona, who was nursing a glass of wine while she watched him clean.

"Better. We still have a while to go before it's great but it's definitely better than it was." Fiona grinned, taking a sip of her wine. "She's finally realized that I'm happy with my life and that if it's not the life she imagined, I'm happy and that's all that matters."

"Good." Eddie dropped the dishtowel on the counter. "That's good."

"You know, Eddie," Fiona's voice dropped a few octaves as she stood up and sauntered over to him. "It's really you, I have to thank for that."

"I don't think I can protest to that." Eddie murmured his agreement. Actually, he wasn't sure he could even think at the moment, seeing as how the blood had rushed from his brain when she had done that sexy little saunter. "Fiona, sweetheart, please remember that your mother is still in the house. Okay?"

"I know." She whispered, sliding her arms around his neck and pulling him down. "When she goes home, you will be thanked properly, believe me. But for now a little preview will have to suffice."

"You'll get no arguments from me." Eddie's breathless whisper was barely out before she had crushed her lips to his in what was almost a bruising kiss.

She tasted like fruit and wine. It was a cool richness that lingered and something he sought more of. He picked her up and spun them around before dropping her on the counter. She wrapped her legs around his waist, drawing him closer as he knotted his fingers in her blonde hair and slipped his other hand up under her shirt. She couldn't help but giggle into his mouth when his fingers found her ribs and grazed them lightly. He did it again and they both laughed, pulling away slightly.

"That was a nice preview." Eddie whispered breathlessly. His eyebrows waggled in a faux-sexy manner. "I can't wait for the real thing."

"Eddie!" Fiona practically shrieked with laughter, pushing him away playfully. "You're incorrigible."

"I know." Eddie laughed, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You love me anyway, right?"

"I do." Fiona laughed, scooting closer to him. "I do love you, Eddie."

"I love you too." Eddie smiled. "Now about this whole 'thank you' think, do I get something like this everytime you want to say thank you?"

"Eddie!" Fiona gasped, slapping his shoulder.

He laughed as he captured her lips again. It wasn't long before their laughter filled the kitchen and carried through the entire house. And as Eloise listened to her daughter's joyful shrieks of hysterical laughter from the guest room, she couldn't help but think that she had made the right choice in apologizing to her daughter. She had Eddie Arlette to thank for that and for the simple pleasure of listening to her daughter's laughter.

Maybe laughter was the best medicine.

* * *

><p><strong>Hello Loves! I'm ba-ack! Dear Lord, it's been almost a month! It just seemed to fly by! It wasn't planned to wait this long but that's life. I was sick for a week straight with a horrible cold that attacked both me and my Dad with a vengeance and left us so sick we had to cancel our plans to see a movie - ironic, right? It's about to get better. I ended up snuggled underneath a fleece blanket on the couch with hot tea and watching TV while waiting for the Mentalist. But anyway, we're both better now and I'm back to my usual self. I seem to be writing more than usual. I've finished three stories and an update just in the short span of a week. Weird. Two of those stories were written while I was deliriously sick, sleep deprived and on cold medicine. Anyway, this was written in about an hour and a half. <strong>

**Alright enough of that rambling nonsense. I'm going to go and ask you to please leave me some love, Dolls! **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. Human Target story might be next so to the readers of my Human Target stories that followed me over, there is that! Sometime in the next week, I hope :) **


	23. Words of Wisdom

"-Go back to New York!"

"Gladly!"

His coffee mug hit the sink, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. If he saw her flinch away from the noise, he made no mention of it nor did he bother to apologize, choosing instead to stalk out of the front door angrily. She flinched again when the front door slammed shut, the gun-shot like noise ringing through the house. She let her teary eyes close and her shoulders sag forward in exhaustion. A fight with Eddie hadn't been the way she had wanted to start her day but he had been cantankerous all through breakfast. His waspish mood had gotten the better of her and before she knew they were grappled in a seething argument that had went far beyond Eddie's bad mood. She wasn't sure what they had even fought about this time.

"Fiona?" Eloise had heard the entire fight from her bedroom and had only ventured out to check on her daughter when she was sure things had calm down considerably. She found her daughter, slumped quite sullenly against the counter. "Why, what on earth is the matter, darling?"

Fiona dropped her head and scrubbed her face with her hands. Her shaky voice was muffled but Eloise just made out the words, "Me and Eddie fought."

"What about?" Eloise chose not to mention that she had heard the two battle it out and knew perfectly well what had brought World Wars three and four to pass. Fiona was upset enough without the knowledge that her mother had heard her battle it out with her hot-tempered detective of a boyfriend.

"I don't know." Fiona crossed her arms over her chest with slight wail of defeat and exhaustion. "I don't even know, Mum. He was just so grumpy. I couldn't handle it."

Eloise indulged herself the slight knowing laughter and quite fondly remembered how many times she had found herself engaged in a hostile argument with her husband when he had come to the breakfast table in one of his moods. It was only a matter of time before Fiona experienced that as well. Eloise had learned, after finding herself helpless in the midst of battle, exactly how to load her arsenal of things to say if she wished to avoid clashing with him and the tools with which to properly battle her husband's morning crabbiness.

"Sweetheart, I remember your father used to do exactly the same thing and sometimes still does." Eloise made quick work of gathering her daughter in a comforting embrace and smoothing her tangled blonde hair.

"He does?" Fiona looked up at her mother questioningly.

"Oh good heavens, yes!" Eloise laughed fondly, "Fiona, some mornings your father would come to the breakfast table so crabby, I'd serve breakfast just to keep him from scaring the maid."

"What did you do?" Fiona's inquiry reminded Eloise of the quick lesson she had learned about choosing her battles wisely.

"Pick your battles. I had to learn early on to pick my battles." Eloise informed her wisely, smoothing her daughter's blonde hair again. "If you don't feel as if you can talk to him without getting irritated or engaging in an argument with him at the breakfast table, then just simply ignore him."

"Ignore him?" A blonde eyebrow shot skyward in slight disbelief and apprehension.

"Yes. Simply ignore him." Eloise told her, when her daughter's gaze clouded with doubt, she elaborated. "Fiona, men hate nothing more than to be ignored when they go looking for a fight."

"What if ignoring him makes the problem worse?" Fiona asked her mother.

"That's when you employ your arsenal of weapons." Eloise whispered with a conspiratoral smile. "For instance I often found that coffee was the quickest way to cure your father's crabbiness. So I simply requested that the maid have his coffee on the table before he arrived instead of serving ours at the same time."

Eloise could practically see the gears turning in her daughter's head and gave her a gentle nudge as if to inquire what it was she seemed to be in deep thought about. Fiona felt stupid for not remembering it sooner but she hadn't and was quick to admit to her mother, just what may have caused Eddie's morning grumpiness. "Eddie's been working a tough case this week with practically no leads."

"Then he's probably stressed, darling." Eloise dropped a kiss onto her daughter's temple. "I wouldn't worry about fighting with him. He'll probably come home tonight and apologize faster than you can tell him you forgive him."

"I hope so." Fiona murmured, looking down at the kitchen floor. "I don't like fighting with Eddie."

"And I'm willing to bet that he doesn't like fighting with you." Eloise reassured her daughter soothingly. "He's far to fond of you to not apologize. Don't fret, my dear. It'll work out."

xxx

It was nearing midnight by the time Eddie trudged through the front door, sullen and brooding from the fight he had with his girlfriend that morning. In truth, he had forgotten what they had even fought about but he knew that his crankiness most definitely had not helped matters. He would be the first to admit to the fact that he had a hot temper which didn't lend itself well to being crabby in the morning. He couldn't even remember what Fiona had said but something had ignited that hot temper and now here he was, home with flowers and a bottle of wine, hoping to reconcile with his girlfriend and not have to sleep on the couch.

He found her in the living room huddled against the far end of the couch. Her head rested against the back of the couch, there was a worn copy of Jane Austen's _Pride and Prejudice _in her hands and a throw blanket wrapped around her shoulders to ward off the chill. She was sleeping peacefully, even though it didn't look as if the position she had twisted herself into was very comfortable. The fact that she had tried to wait up for him despite his short temper with her this morning, just intensified his guilt ten-fold. He quietly set the bouquet of flowers and bottle of wine down on the coffee table and shrugged out of his jacket. He tossed it onto the nearest armchair and quickly untied his tie before tossing it on top of his jacket.

He gently stroked her hair, tucking the few strands that had slipped from her hair elastic behind her ear. Luckily for him, she was a relatively heavy sleeper so she never flinched when he gently unwrapped her from the blanket and picked her up. Eddie cradled her small form against his chest tenderly, as if cradling a baby or a fragile doll. It was with the utmost care that he carried her into his bedroom and tucked her into bed.

Eddie couldn't help but laugh slightly when she nestled into her pillow with a soft sigh of contentment. The sliver of moonlight streaming through the window cast an almost angelic glow on her face. She looked so innocent and child-like when she was sleeping. He gently brushed her cheek with his knuckles before making his way into the bathroom to change into his usual sweatpants and loose t-shirt. He quickly tucked himself into bed and wrapped his arms around Fiona, drawing her flush against him.

"I'm sorry, Fiona." He whispered, even though he knew she couldn't hear him.

Fiona just rolled over, still sleeping soundly and buried her face in Eddie's chest, content in the knowledge that he was there. Whatever was wrong between them obviously forgotten in favor of the comforting depths of sleep. With one last whispered apology, Eddie closed his eyes, content to drift off in the arms of Morpheus with his girlfriend.

In the darkened shadows of the hallway just outside of his room, Eloise smiled to herself at the tender scene she had just witnessed. Tomorrow she would return to her home, safe in the knowledge that her daughter was just fine. Not to mention she'd have one hell of a fine story to regale to her friends, who were always eager to listen to her enthusiastic, if slightly exaggerated stories.

Oh, Eddie and Fiona would be just fine.

She was sure of it.

* * *

><p><strong>I have no idea where this came from. Wait, yes...yes I do. It came out of the desperate need to update this story. So I had a draft of this chapter that was completely different but it was too gloppy, like right from the get-go. I saved it and will eventually morph into something less cavity-inducing when the mood strikes me but for now this what I leave you with. Once again, I remind you that I suck at writing fight scenes but as I wrote, the chapter morphed into Eloise giving her daughter advice about fighting with her significant other and the last scene with Eddie coming home to find sleeping Fiona on the couch wasn't really something I planned but the chapter would have been too short without it and it's been a while since I've updated so I wanted to make it worth it. On another note, my shoulder is all healed! I'm still using my bed-rest pillow thing but the icepack has been tucked away in its box and the pain is gone. Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. Morpheus is the god of dreams in Greek mythology and an extremely vague reference to my favorite Robert Downey Jr. movie **_**Sherlock Holmes. **_


	24. Making Up For Lost Time

Fiona Bickerton loved her mother.

She really and truly did, especially now that their relationship was slowly being repaired but at the same time, having her in the house was proving to be frustrating for both her and Eddie. There was no mood killer like a mother - and that statement had never rang truer than when Eloise had come for a visit. It wasn't as if she wanted to rush her mother out of the house just so she could get a little alone time with Eddie before cases started piling in on him, that wasn't it at all. She just couldn't find it in herself to be all that disappointed when her mother decided to return to the Bickerton home. She would be returning with plenty of stories to regale her friends with - of that Fiona was sure.

"-I know. I'll be fine. Goodbye Mother. Love you too."

Her sharp hazel eyes rolled heavenward in exasperation, eagerly anticipating the moment her mother's limo pulled out of the driveway. With a tight smile, Fiona bid her mother one final goodbye before closing the limo door and making her back to the flat. She turned on the steps and watched the limo back of the driveway and disappear down the street. Her shoulders dropped and she practically sprinted back into the house, intent upon finding her sexy New York detective and relieving some, shall we say, frustration.

"Hey. She gone?" Eddie leaned against the wall of the foyer, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah."

His keen blue eyes watched every hypnotic sway of her hips, noticed the enticing curl of her fingers around her hipbones and the way her t-shirt bunched in her palms. Her long legs were put on full display for his viewing pleasure by those wonderfully short pink shorts that he's positive he's seen on her before. There's a certain jaunt in the way she walks; a sexy confidence that seemed to make her little display something more primal and predatory.

"Eddie," A small hand toyed with his belt buckle before trailing up his stomach and playing with the buttons of his black shirt. Her hazel eyes looked up at him with such an innocence, he'd almost believe she was playing him for a fool, if there wasn't something else, something more mischievous sparkling in the hazel depths. "I've been thinking."

"Oh?" His question is strangled, his own voice betraying him.

"Yes." Her fingers nimbly undo one of the buttons of his shirt while her other hand played with his belt buckle. "You see, I've found the past few days to be very frustrating."

"Y-you have?" He stumbled over his words, her ministrations driving him to distraction. He cleared his throat and managed to spit out something that sounded less like a twelve-year-old boy in the midst of puberty. "You have?"

"Oh yes," She nodded her head, blonde hair bobbing against her shoulders. A coy, teasing smile tugged at her lips and her hazel eyes sparkled. She was clearly enjoying the arousing torture she was putting him through. He unconsciously gritted his teeth, already aware that he was in for a hell of a lot more than what she was doing now. "I think we should take care of that."

As if to emphasize her point, she pulled his belt from around his waist with a hard yank. She set the leather strap on the table and murmured something about saving it for later use before her hands made quick work of the buttons on his shirt. The black button down hit the floor and the white shirt underneath soon joined it. Her hand grazed the general area of his crotch and ghosted a tickling trail up to his chest before her warm palm settled on his chest.

"Do you agree?"

It was all he could do to nod his agreement. She just grinned, that same little impish grin she had used on him before and reached for the hem of her t-shirt. Oh, the little tease. She was determined to kill him. Of that, he was absolutely positive. Her impish grin and the torturously slow pace with which she was removing her t-shirt only served to reinforce that particular fact. The white cotton bunched under her bust and the view of the flat plain of her beautiful stomach was enough to drive him crazy.

"You look a little warm, Eddie. Are you okay?" Her concern sounded so genuine that he almost forgot for a second that she still had her t-shirt on.

The next few seconds seemed to happen in slow motion. His hands and hips slammed her into the wall behind her, pinning her soft body to the hard, painted surface. She sputtered, gasping her approval at his aggression. It took him a matter of seconds to rip that damn t-shirt from her body and set her skin ablaze with his hands. His palms skimmed over her sides, fingers grazing her breasts and her ribs, dipping into the waistband of her shorts. He crushed his lips to hers; swallowing every sound of approval spilling from her mouth.

"Bedroom?" He murmured against her mouth, his hands still playing with the waistband of her shorts.

It was her turn to nod in agreement, which was all she could manage. His little display of predatory aggression had knocked her breathless and seemed to take her voice from her. She barely had time to think before he had scooped her up into his arms and was headed toward the bedroom.

His leather belt lay forgotten about on the table.

xxx

"Damn."

Exhausted and gasping for air, a thoroughly - and boy did he mean thoroughly - satisfied Eddie Arlette let the exclamation slip from his mouth without thought. He looked down at the tiny blonde curled into his side, her head resting on his shoulder. It was occurring to him that he may never recover from this. Not that he'd ever want too if he wasn't a detective at Scotland Yard, who was called on almost a daily basis. He had to work and as much as he'd like to stay home and let the little blonde, who was currently purring with satisfaction against him, please him and render him unable to move, he knew he couldn't.

"Eddie?" Fiona giggled slightly, looking up at him. "You okay?"

"You're going to kill me." Eddie panted, looking down at her. "You know that right?"

"Well..." That little impish grin was back in all of it's shit-eating glory. "That wasn't my intention."

Eddie just laughed and kissed the top of her head. "Vixen."

"I didn't hear you complaining." Fiona pointed out, settling back down against him.

"You're right. I wasn't." Eddie chuckled and they were right, he hadn't complained. What had come out of his mouth had been both far from coherent and far from complaining.

"Good." Fiona giggled, looking up at him. "It'll keep you coming back for more."

"Woman, I couldn't leave if I wanted too. I mean that literally. I'm afraid if I get up, my legs may not hold my weight." Eddie sighed, obviously content with his muscles relaxing to the point of feeling like jell-O. He could feel his eyelids sagging, begging to be closed. He pressed one last kiss into her damp dair and settled against the pillows. His muscles felt heavy, weakened with exhaustion and he could feel the peaceful abyss of sleep closing in on him. "Sleep, now."

Fiona just giggled and closed her eyes; "Love you, Eddie."

"Love you too, Fiona."

* * *

><p><strong>If you want more...erm, explicit details of their bedroom activities, I shall let you imagine that on your own terms. I'm not one for explicit detail. I just wanted to get this out and update before the weekend. Let me tell you, this spilled out so fast, I'm surprised it's coherent. I actually started it at midnight but sadly had to give up in favor of sleep the closer it got to one in the morning. The last couple of weeks haven't been kind to me at all. Actually, it's more like the last month hasn't been kind to me. But that's another story. Anyway, hope you enjoyed this! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	25. Possibility of Procreation

A little white stick.

Yes, that's what she was blaming. The little white stick in her hand. It was to blame for her nerves being out of control. She could feel her fast, erratic heart-beat. Okay, so in reality, it sounded more like her heart was trying to beat its way through her sternum and launch itself at the wall in what was either nervousness or just plain despair. The thought of what reality a stupid little piece of plastic would bring crashing down upon them was terrifying.

She hadn't even thought about kids right now. Neither had Eddie, as far as she knew. Given it wasn't something they had discussed, really. Okay so, maybe, she was jumping to conclusions but why would he want kids? He was only in London because he had 'bottomed-out' so to speak as a detective in New York. It was only a matter of time before the 'honeymoon' phase of their relationship wore off and he longed for some lover he had left in the states; for the life he had left in the states. The last thing he wanted - or needed, for that matter - was to be tied to London permanently by a kid with her, of all people.

Pippin had commented, that they would have some great looking kids but it had been a joke. Not something she had ever seriously considered - then again, she hadn't had any real need to consider it. Now though, sitting on the toilet with her pants unbuttoned and a plastic stick in her hand, one end of which is covered in her urine, she's considering it. And it's not something she's taking lightly. It was in her head now and there was no getting it out.

She knew that morning that something was off with her body.

She had woken up with heavy nausea pounding a steady rhythm in the back of her throat and it hadn't been long after that she had hunched over the toilet, throwing up everything she had eaten in the past two days. She hadn't felt horrible, tired but not bad. She had merely cleaned herself up, downed a glass of water and went to take a shower and prepare for her day. It was only when she ate a late breakfast and found herself promptly puking it up thirty minutes later that she knew something was up.

The corner store hadn't had a large selection of pregnancy tests but she had bought the one that claimed to be most accurate and rushed home to down some more water and find out whether or not she had in fact procreated with her rough-and-tumble detective. The more she thought about it, the more she found she rather liked the idea of giving birth to a bouncing baby boy or a sweet little girl. A child that was uniquely her and Eddie. Her thoughts wandered to how the little child would look.

Would the baby have her dark hazel eyes or his clear blue eyes? What would their personality be like? What accent would they have with an American father and a British mother?

The loud ringing of the kitchen timer that she had grabbed on her mad dash to the bathroom, shook her out of her reverie and back to reality. She turned it off and with a shaky hand flipped over the pregnancy test in her hand.

Those two pink lines had never been clearer than they were at that moment.

Holy hell.

xxx

"Fiona?"

The sound of his voice sent her into panic mode. Without a second thought, she tossed the pregnancy test into the sink and left the timer on the counter as she raced out of the bathroom. He had just shrugged out of his jacket when she made her way into foyer - silently praying to God that Eddie couldn't see how nervous she was. She took a few deep breaths to slow her heart-rate and get her nerves under control before smiling up at him and leaning up on her tip-toes to kiss him, pressing a hand to his cheek as he leaned down.

"Hey," Eddie smiled against her mouth.

"Hey." Fiona smiled sweetly before sighing and reaching for his hands. "Eddie, we need to talk."

"Okay. That's never a good thing." Eddie chuckled, letting her lead him into the living room. "What's this about?"

Fiona released a deep breath and motioned for him to sit down on the couch. "Eddie, it's important that you sit down and be quiet and just listen, alright?"

"Alright." Eddie relented.

"Eddie, we've been seeing each other for a while now and things have gotten pretty crazy lately." Fiona sighed, looking at him with soft hazel eyes. "It occurred to me this morning that we haven't exactly been careful in our bedroom exploits."

"Careful?"

"Careful. We haven't exactly taken the necessary steps to prevent anything from happening that we may not necessarily be ready for." Fiona told him, hoping he'd catch on. "I am on birth control but Eddie, it's not the same."

"And I haven't been..." Eddie trailed off, his eyes widening at her implications. "Fiona, are you pregnant?"

"I've thrown up twice today." Fiona sat down next to him, tears stinging her eyes. She motioned vaguely to the bathroom and managed to find her voice again; "I took a pregnancy test just a few minutes ago."

"Fiona..." Eddie trailed off, encouraging her to continue.

"Eddie," Fiona looked up at him, wringing her hands nervously. "Eddie..."

"Just say it, Sweetheart." Eddie encouraged her.

"Eddie, I'm pregnant."

* * *

><p><strong>WHAT?! Is that what you're thinking right about now? Yeah, me too. Didn't originally plan on it going in this direction but what the hell. So let the speculation begin. What kind of parents will Eddie and Fiona make? Me, personally. I'm thinking dysfunctional, bizarre and a tad screwy but loving and brilliant, nonetheless. I'm sorry for the shortness but I need to get to the point and get this up before you guys turned against me because it's been so long since I've updated. <strong>

**Leave me some love, Dolls. **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	26. Overjoyed

Pregnant.

Fiona Bickerton was pregnant.

Oh, God help him.

He was going to be a father. That was the really scary part of all of this. It wasn't impossible to believe but it was a bit difficult to get his head around. Yes, he had thought about eventually settling down and starting a family - given, he had never really thought about that being with Fiona - but this, this was a bit much. And there was Fiona, staring at him with those wide hazel eyes, brimming with tears and the horror that threatened to grip her, should he say that he didn't want this child. Of course, he wanted this child. He had created this baby. This baby was just as much him as it was her and yes, it was difficult to wrap his around the fact that she was in fact carrying his offspring but he already loved it.

He, Edward Lee Arlette, was going to be a father and that idea thrilled him - even if it had thrown him for a loop at first.

"Fiona, sweetheart," Eddie took a deep breath, hoping to at least regain a little of his composure. Her hazel eyes dropped to her lap and it was easy to see, she was preparing herself for whatever he was about to tell her - she was clearly expecting the worst. Instead of trying to maneuver her head back up and meet her eyes again, Eddie went with the simplest solution which was to scoop her up and settle her in his lap. She looked up at him with those hazel eyes and he sighed softly; "This...this is a lot for me to get my head around, right now."

"Eddie, if you don't want this child - " Fiona was interrupted by Eddie, who was clearly trying to hold back his laughter.

"Sweetheart, I couldn't possibly want this baby any more than I already do." Eddie shushed her, soothing her pointless fears. "Okay, it is a bit intimidating and let's be honest, Fiona, did you ever picture me as a father?"

"Well," Fiona giggled slightly, resting her head on his shoulder. "No, not really."

"But that doesn't mean I don't want this baby. I do, Fiona." He stroked her blonde hair soothingly. "I just need some time to adjust."

"I do too." Fiona nodded against his shoulder before raising her head to look at him. "So you're happy?"

"Of course," He brushed her cheekbone tenderly with his thumb and smiled, "Sweetheart, if you still doubt me, I'm doing something wrong in this relationship."

Fiona laughed and carefully repositioned herself so that she was straddling him, her still flat stomach pressed against his. She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned closer to him. Her method of communication was not lost on a thoroughly educated Eddie, who met her half-way and nipped at her bottom lip. His hands fell to her hips, squeezing them slightly in response to the slight tug she was giving his hair. He swallowed her whimper when he sucked and bit her bottom lip, causing it to swell and sensitize. He broke away and trailed hot kisses along her jaw and down the side of her neck, listening to every hiss of approval.

"Eddie," Her accent thickened and he could hear the familiar hoarseness of arousal creeping into her voice. "Hmmm..."

"What were you saying, Fiona?" Eddie grinned against her collarbone, humming slightly drawing a whimper from her. "You sound a bit out of sorts, are you okay?"

"Evil, evil man." Fiona breathed, tugging his hair as if to egg him on. "You already got me pregnant, isn't that enough for one day?"

Eddie just laughed and continued his ministrations. His mouth paused along the hot trail it was burning on her skin and he looked up to meet her eyes, obviously having realized something. She looked dazed and confused as to why he had stopped. He tightened his arms around her and rubbed her back absently. "Have you been sick?"

"Sometimes." Fiona shrugged, bringing her hands down to his shoulders. "It's what kind of clued me in that we're going to be parents in about nine months and you know, the fact that we haven't exactly been careful."

"Maybe that's a good thing."

Fiona couldn't help it and almost immediately burst into laughter. She was close to tears when she noticed his offended look and softened to an amused chuckle, bringing him to close to her in an affectionate hug; "I'm sorry, darling. I don't mean to laugh. It's just that, I'd love to have you say that when I'm craving strange foods, going through mood swings and I'm the size of a house."

Eddie just grinned wickedly, "Oh I think I can handle the mood swings."

"And the strange cravings?" Fiona raised her eyebrows skeptically.

"Shouldn't be a problem." Eddie shrugged.

"And what about me being the size of house?"

Well, that was a double edged sword. There was no possible way to answer that question correctly - hell, every answer he could think of right off of the top of his head seemed wrong and liable to incur Fiona's fiery wrath. He thought carefully before he answered. Fiona wouldn't be the size of a house but she certainly wouldn't be one of those women who went nine months without ever looking like they were about have a baby. He imagined that pregnancy would fill her out nicely, enhance her curves and the soft roundness of her stomach was sure to become the most beautiful part about her.

"Sweetheart, you aren't going to be the size of a house. You're pregnant." Eddie told her. With that said, he skimmed his hands down her sides. "I can only imagine that I'll want you more when you start to show."

"You'll want me more?"

He squeezed her hips and picked up where he left off on her collarbone. "Fiona, think about it. Your body is going to change and it isn't a bad thing. I'll love those changes. The fuller hips and you know I won't object to the fuller chest."

"What about the stomach?" Fiona broke off into a high-pitched whimper, "Oh god, Eddie!"

"There's a baby in your stomach. Watching the baby grow is going to be half the fun." Eddie murmured against her chest, nibbling on her skin. "Now will you stop worrying and let me continue?"

Her only answer was to moan and throw her head back to allow him better access. Parenthood was going to be an adventure for both of them. Pregnancy was going to stretch and change her body. She was going to have more mood swings than even she could tolerate and her cravings would be strange, sometimes impossibly so and she was going to experience morning sickness but she still had Eddie. Sweet, wonderful, adoring Eddie, who seemed ready to take on any challenge that her pregnancy might throw at him.

* * *

><p><strong>Guess who got a new laptop? *Points at self* This girl! That's right I'm the proud owner of a brand new laptop. It's awesome! My other one has since been retired and now sits in its bag, where it shall reside until the day comes where it won't turn on, even with the charger. I typed most of this chapter last night while listening to 'Poison And Wine' by the Civil Wars - damn you, John Paul White, that one line always brings me to tears - and finished it this morning in my pajamas on the couch while listening to my cat play in the window. I wanted Eddie to be over the moon at first and have the freak-out come later. I imagine him getting distant and it being somewhat subtle but nothing Fiona won't pick up on! Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. The line from the song is, "I don't have a choice but I'd still choose you" and the reason it brings me to tears is because the song is about painful honesty in a relationship and the way he sings that line just...ugh, yeah, reduces me to tears. So anyway, that's it. **


	27. Exhaustion

A card hung innocuously on the fridge, white card stock marked with the name of Fiona's obstetrician, office phone number and date and time of her next appointment. She's halfway through the final month of her first trimester and more exhausted than either of them had imagined. As the end of her first trimester drew closer, her morning sickness had ebbed off into a mild nausea suffered in the morning that went away with some dry toast and tea. He had gotten used to preparing it for her. So much so that he puts her tea bag in a cup, some bread in the toaster and water in the kettle before he has to leave for work because he knows that - as much as it may irritate him - he won't be here when she finally drags into the kitchen. She stayed in bed more these days, the side effects of her pregnancy taking their toll on her petite body, rendering her almost helpless.

He went to work everyday, regardless of how dismayed he may be at the fact that he can't stay home and take care of her. He knew that she was perfectly capable of taking care of herself but he also knew that her doctor had warned her not to push herself with the exhaustion she was experiencing and while he hadn't gone into panic attack mode yet, he's quite certain he could if need be. He wanted to be there to do things for her instead of her having to fight exhaustion from the time she gets up in the morning until whatever case he's working on reaches a point that allows him a few hours at home. He indulged her when he was home because he felt guilty for not being there during the day when she needs him.

He kissed her forehead tenderly, rolling out of bed to begin his day.

Fiona was sleeping peacefully and he has no intention of waking her. He goes through his morning routine and dressed quietly in a navy blue shirt, black pants and his work shoes. He had forgone the belt and pulled a sports jacket taut across his shoulders. His blue eyes flit gently over Fiona's sleeping form as he dressed. She's looked so tired lately. It's almost unbearable to witness how very not-Fiona like she had been.

"Get some rest, Sweetheart." He murmured softly, his hand on the doorknob and his body positioned halfway in and halfway out of the room. "I'll see you tonight."

She doesn't hear him - and he knew this but he said it every morning - instead rolling over into the cocoon of warmth left behind by his body. He left the room, pulling the door shut behind him and heading for the kitchen. He put two slices of bread in the toaster, a bag of her preferred mint tea in her favorite teacup and a kettle of water on the stove for her. He doesn't bother with drinking coffee because he knew it won't sit well with his stomach. It never does.

It hasn't since her symptoms appeared.

He can't seem to keep the anxiety at bay since she began showing signs of her pregnancy. He had held her hair back every morning when her stomach rolled and she was forced to empty it into the toilet. He had made her countless cups of tea and pieces of toast when the vomiting went away but the nausea throbbed in the back of her throat constantly. He had tried his _damndest _to get her to eat when all she felt like doing was puking. He had bought or made her whatever she craved but she never really ate it. She couldn't.

"Man, you look like hell." Pippin commented dryly, not bothering to hide the unnatural width of his blue eyes at the sight of Eddie. "I take it Fiona's pregnancy isn't a bed of roses?"

Eddie leaned his head back against the seat, closing his eyes and releasing a deep breath before tugging his seatbelt across his body and clicking it into place. He absently dragged a hand through his hair and looked over at Pippin; "She's either exhausted or sick, her body can't seem to decide."

"How about you?" Pippin twists his body to look out of the back window as he backs out of the driveway, "How are you dealing with all of this?"

"How am I supposed to deal with it?" Eddie's face contorted in obvious irritation and he scrubbed his face with his hand. His mouth seemed to be functioning faster than his brain because before he can stop himself, he's spilling his guts to his partner - whether Pippin is willing to listen or not. "I'm either holding her hair back, watching her sleep for hours at a time because that's all she does or I'm buying or cooking food that I know she won't eat. She sleeps more than she did before. She's always tired. She hasn't been able to work in a month because of the exhaustion and her doctor keeps telling us that there's nothing she can do - which, at this point, sounds like bullshit but what can I do? I'm not her. I don't know. Sometimes I think I'm more exhausted than she is which makes no sense because all she does is sleep! Not that hard to care for a woman who sleeps all the time."

The speedometer needle edged up closer to the speed limit and Pippin relaxed into the seat, letting his eyes flicker over Eddie's exhausted form. Eddie's doing everything that he can to keep Fiona comfortable and it's wearing him down, far worse than any case could. It didn't take a genius to see that Eddie was taking on far more than he was capable of handling and Pippin couldn't help but point that out. "You can't do it all, Eddie."

"I know that, Pippin." Eddie jammed his elbow against the window and held his forehead in his hand. "But damn it, I can't let her do this alone."

"That's not what I'm saying." Pippin shook his head, keeping his eyes on the road. "I understand that you won't let her do this alone but Eddie, you're just as much a part of this as she is. What good are you gonna be to her, if by the time this nine months is up, you're in the hospital with exhaustion instead of the delivery room?"

"Pippin," Eddie sighed, closing his eyes.

"Eddie, listen to me." Pippin intercepted his partner's protest. "When she's in that room yelling and screaming at the nurses - and this is Fiona, so you know that will happen, she's going to want one person. You."

"I know."

"So, stop being a bloody nincompoop and take care of yourself, right proper like." Pippin practically yelled at his partner.

If Eddie hadn't of been so bloody tired, he might have laughed at his best friend but he couldn't work up the energy so he just settled for a sigh, "I just don't want her to feel like she's alone in this."

"Understandable," he shrugged, giving the steering wheel a sharp twist, jerking the car into an empty parking lot. "You need to go back home."

"Pippin, I'm fine. Let's just go to work." Eddie shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger and squeezing his eyes shut.

"Eddie, you're exhausted."

"I'm fine, Pippin." Eddie growled, glaring at his partner.

In all honesty, he was anything but fine. He had been running himself ragged trying his best to care for his very sick pregnant girlfriend. He hadn't looked in the mirror lately but he's pretty sure there are some dark, heavy bags forming under his eyes and every muscle in his body had been tense, snapping to attention at the slightest thing. He hadn't been able to relax in days and it was starting to irritate him that Fiona could sleep like she had been - even if he didn't exactly that it was the pregnancy that caused it.

"You're going home." Pippin swung the car out of the parking lot and onto the empty streets of early morning London. "Your girlfriend needs you more than Scotland Yard does and you need time at home more than you need a case. If anyone asks, I'll tell them you're sick and had to stay home. I'm sure there's someone else who'll take the cases with me."

The quick realization that there was no way in hell, his stubborn partner would let him with these, Eddie conceded defeat and relaxed into his seat for the ride back to his flat. Damn. Monty Pippin really was the most stubborn person, he knew - Fiona not included, that was just a given.

"Thanks, Pippin."

* * *

><p><strong>So I bet you're thinking, what in the bloody hell is a <strong>_**nincompoop? **_**It's British slang for idiot! I know Pippin sounded decidedly more like Eddie in some parts, but I figured if he's trying to make his partner and best friend understand something, he'd revert back to his British roots and plus I looked up British slang and that word made me laugh - and it worked. Not sure if it's still in use or if the website I used is inaccurate but it was funny as hell and I could just hear Pippin calling Eddie one so it just became a must. Like most chapters, this one was finished on my couch. I needed Eddie's frustration and exhaustion to become more prevalent but I wanted him to talk to Pippin because I like Pippin and he was Eddie's best friend in London so it just seemed to make sense - unlike this author's note. Anyway, leave me some love, dolls!**

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	28. Thank Pippin

Expecting to roll over to cold sheets and instead rolling over to find the solid, muscular warmth of your boyfriend's chest was a surprise - a pleasant surprise but a surprise nonetheless. The tangy freshness of his soap and the scent of a light sweat clung to his t-shirt, combining deliciously. Her hazel eyes, still slightly heavy with sleep trailed up to his face. She drank in the serene expression of his relaxed features. The prominent tired lines around his eyes and the way his eyelashes fluttered against his cheek. She memorized every line on his face, from the soft slope of the bridge of his nose and the way it slid so beautifully into his cheekbones to the tapered jawline, angled and chiseled to perfection. She smiled at the handsome yet so very calm smile tugging at his lips. A soft giggle escaped her when she noticed that he had bent one arm underneath his head, using it as a pillow. He always slept like that when he slept on his side, even when she was tucked against him. Usually he had one arm around her and one arm underneath his head. She had no clue why as his pillows were perfectly comfortable. She had come to assume that it was more of a habit than a comfort issue. She listened to the steady rhythm of his breathing and knew that if she slid her hand over that one spot on his chest, she'd feel the steady beat of his heart.

Careful not to wake him, she carefully moved closer him and tucked herself against his chest, nestling her face against the warm strength she found there. His arm wrapped around her instinctively and she pulled the covers up over both of them, burrowing further away from the cold London day outside. It's not that she didn't want to get up - she did - but she had a feeling that should she get up and attempt to act like a normal human being, morning sickness would take over. She did not want to spend another morning hunched over the toilet.

"I'm awake, y'know?" his soft chuckle rumbled in his chest, vibrating against her ear. His hand slid up her side and into her hair, fingertips rubbing light circles on her scalp. "No morning sickness today?"

Fiona shook her head, tilting it back to meet his sleepy blue eyes. "No work today?"

"I tried." Eddie laughed, kissing her head. "Pippin said I looked like hell. We got halfway there and after I unloaded on him, he brought me back home and banned me from Scotland Yard for the day."

Fiona just giggled, stretching toward him a little more to press a tender kiss to the underside of his jaw. She trailed a line of kisses along his jaw and moved up farther to reach his mouth. He slid his arm out from underneath his head and wrapped it around her as he rolled over onto his back, pulling Fiona on top of him. His hands cradled her hair, fingers tangled in her disheveled blonde hair. It wasn't a sexual kiss that aroused him or her. It was a simple kiss to reaffirm just how much they loved each other despite the toll Fiona's pregnancy was taking on both of them.

"I'm glad I have you to myself today." Fiona whispered against his mouth. "It's been a while since I've you to myself for a whole day."

"Too long." Eddie agreed, tucking her hair behind her ear. "Do you feel up for some breakfast?"

"I think so." Fiona nodded, rolling back onto her side of the bed."Maybe some fruit or something light."

"Okay." Eddie nodded as he stood up to go make them some breakfast. "Do you want to come with me or do you want to stay here?"

"I'll come with you." Fiona carefully got out of bed, hoping like hell she wasn't in for a wave of morning sickness the minute her feet touched the floor. She stood up slowly and reached for Eddie's proffered hand, "Okay I think I'll be alright."

He led her into the kitchen and switched on a light. He grabbed the bowl of fruit from the table and the container of raspberries from the fridge to make Fiona her fruit salad. While Eddie was busying peeling, chopping and slicing the fruit, Fiona turned on the coffee maker and grabbed the kettle to fill it with water for her tea. She smiled slightly when the sound of Eddie's light humming reached her ears over the gurgling of the coffee maker. She watched him mix the fruit together and divide it into two bowls for them before making his way to the cabinet and retrieving two coffee mugs. He set one by the coffee maker and opened a bag of her favorite tea to put in the other one.

He had practically run himself ragged since she had told him she was pregnant. He had been doing everything around the house on top of working at Scotland Yard yet here he was, still willing to make them both breakfast and probably do whatever else needed be done before he had to return to Scotland Yard the next day. She had never met a man who would so willing do all of those things on top of working as a detective - she knew Nigel would never do something like that. He wasn't capable but Eddie seemed to handle it all with ease as if it was second nature to him.

"Eddie?"

"What is it?" Eddie turned away from the counter where he was waiting for the coffee to finish brewing. "You okay?"

She made her way over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. He stood confused for a moment before slipping his arms around her small body, keeping her close. Her hazel eyes were teary when she finally met his. Her voice cracked and her British accent was a bit thicker than normal when she spoke; "Thank you."

"For what?" Eddie chuckled, still confused.

"Eddie, you're exhausted. You run yourself ragged taking care of the house, taking care of me and working." Fiona explained softly, "You do it all as if it's second nature to you. You don't complain about how exhausted you are. You just do it and I don't know why."

He cradled her face in his hands and smiled tenderly, "Fiona I do it because you're carrying my child. I do it because I don't want you to feel alone in this."

"But you don't have to do everything to make me feel like that." Fiona shook her head, "I know I'm not alone."

"Fiona, you don't understand." Eddie laughed, kissing her forehead. "Fiona, I do it because I love you."

"I love you too."

"Good," Eddie brushed his thumb under eye, wiping the tears from her eyelashes. "Now, you ready for breakfast?"

"Yes."

The rest of the day passed without further mention of Eddie's exhaustion. They settled into an easy rhythm of doing small chores around the house when Fiona had more energy and watching movies or listening to records when her exhaustion set in. It was one of the best days Eddie and Fiona had, had since she broke the news of her pregnancy. There was no morning sickness and her exhaustion was ebbing away slowly. At the end of the day, when they were both tucked into bed and Fiona was sleeping peacefully in his arms, Eddie made one last mental note before falling asleep.

_Thank Pippin._

* * *

><p><strong>An hour and a half, a glass of iced tea and a few doritos to make up for the breakfast I stupidly skipped, I give you this chapter. Don't have much to say about this one so I'm going to let you tell me what you thought about it. Leave me some love, Dolls. <strong>

**Love, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	29. Baby 'It'

"I think it's a girl."

Eddie's hands pause at his neck, fingers curled around the silky fabric of a blood red tie and lets his blue eyes travel over to the open bathroom door, chuckling at girlfriend's sudden prediction of the gender of their baby. A mere three days ago, the baby had been a boy. Her fifth month of pregnancy has become something of a roller-coaster for both of them. The early symptoms of her pregnancy have ebbed away and her stomach is beginning to take on the tender roundness of a growing baby. It's a gentle curvature, natural in every way and one of the most beautiful things about her pregnancy. It's swollen enough for people to know that she is pregnant but it's small enough that she still fit snugly in his arms - even more so than before. It seems natural that when she curls into him at night, her bump is pressed into his side or when he wrapped his arms around her waist, his hands cradle her stomach. He's discovered that her growing stomach is even more beautiful to him than the other parts of her anatomy that have reaped the benefits of a healthy pregnancy. That's not to say he hasn't noticed the new roundness to her hips. He has and believe him when he says that he's enjoyed the feel of the pliant flesh under his fingers on more than one occasion.

"Sweetheart, three days ago, it was a boy." Eddie laughed, tightening the Windsor knot in his tie. "Which is it?"

"Three days ago was three days ago." Fiona complained from the bathroom where she's getting ready for her day. "I think it's a girl, Eddie."

"Okay then, it's a girl."

Fiona gripped the frame and swung around to stand in the doorway, her dark purple maternity dress swishing around her knees. She's still relatively small, even for five months stomach, but she's found that looser clothes are not only more accomodating to her ever expanding stomach but also much more comfortable than her usual tight clothes. The soft material drapes over her stomach, the gentle folds of the loose fabric concealing her rounded stomach from the front but from the side, it's still relatively obvious she's pregnant. She watches Eddie pull on his black suit jacket and shakes her head when she notices the state of his tie; "Please tell me you are not going to work in a tie that crooked?"

Eddie paused for a moment, the collar of his suit jacket pulled taut just below his shoulders. She's not joking - he can see it in her eyes. He can also see that if he has any hope of getting to work on time, he'll let her fix his tie before he even considered leaving the bedroom. He pulled his suit jacket up over his shoulders and gave a few tugs to adjust it before making his way over to her to let her fix it; "Is it that crooked?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

He knew it was always best to concede with her and let her do it, if only so he has a chance in hell of making it to work on time. She adjusted his tie and brushed invisible lint off of his lapel before leaning up to press her lips to his for a quick kiss before pulling away to remind him of something. "Don't forget, my appointment is at two today. We have the option of finding out if it's a boy or a girl."

"You seem pretty sure, it's a girl. And a boy." Eddie grinned teasingly, rubbing Fiona's stomach with his hand.

"Shut up, Eddie." Fiona griped, slapping his shoulder. "We can't keep calling the baby, 'it'. It's a baby, not a clown from a Stephen King novel."

"Or a hermaphrodite." Eddie's teasing grin widened. "Although you never know..."

"Eddie!" Fiona slapped him again, "That's just mean."

"I'm just teasing." Eddie shrugged her off, "Lighten up."

"Don't call our baby a whatever it was you called it." Fiona glared at him, although he can see the teasing shimmer in her hazel eyes.

"Okay. I won't call it that. If I keep calling our baby 'it' though, I'm going to start having nightmares of a miniature Pennywise." Eddie looked down at her round stomach.

"Ew!"

"Exactly." Eddie chuckled, still rubbing gentle circles on her stomach. "I say we find out if it's a boy or a girl. That way, I'm less likely to want to name it Pennywise."

"That's not even funny." Fiona can't help but chuckle at Eddie's humor.

To some, such jokes would be abhorrent and utterly distasteful unless you truly knew Eddie and Fiona. Eddie's sense of humor had always been slightly twisted and his love of horror movies had only encouraged that. In the privacy of their home, however, and knowing Eddie's humor as well as she did, Fiona was well aware that Eddie meant nothing that came out of his mouth. He was simply making light of her inability to decide if she thought the baby was a boy or a girl.

"Really? I thought it was." Eddie pretended to pout, his blue eyes dancing with laughter.

"Get to work, funny man." Fiona just shook her head, shoulders shuddering with a silent laughter. "Superintendent will kill you if you're late and Pippin is getting impatient."

"Yeah," Eddie sighed, leaning down to kiss her again. "I'll be home around one or so."

"Okay." Fiona nodded, gripping his lapels to keep him in place. "I'll see you then."

"Love you," Eddie grinned, bending over to press a kiss to her stomach. "Love you too, Pennywise."

Fiona swatted at him again but he was quick to get to the door before her hand connected for the third time that morning. He rushed out of the house and to the car where Pippin was waiting for him. Pippin just stared at him, silently asking him what in the bloody hell took so long.

"We find out if the baby's a boy or a girl today." Eddie laughed at his friend's unspoken question.

"Ah."

"By the way, you should be the first to know," Eddie grinned, looking at his friend to gauge his reaction to what he's about to say. "Pennywise is officially on the table as a name."

Pippin hit the brakes and stared his friend in disbelief. Without missing a beat or the laughter sparkling in his best friend's eyes, he deadpanned the response Eddie was hoping for. It's a simple response but it spoke so much of the bond between Eddie and Pippin.

"Stephen King would be proud."


	30. Boy or Girl?

"Eddie, stop fidgeting." Fiona griped from the uncomfortable paper covered exam table that she was laying on, while waiting for her doctor to come in with an ultrasound machine. "You're making me nervous."

Eddie fidgeted again, shifting his hands into his jacket pocket and making himself somewhat comfortable in the horrid plastic chair. He's not impatient or nervous. Not at all. He was just damn uncomfortable in the demonic chair that seemed hell-bent on making some part of his body throb with an unyielding pain. He tried not to wince at the feel of the wretched plastic digging into his shoulders. He nearly sighed in sweet relief with the heavy door squeaked open and the doctor wheeled in the ultrasound machine.

"Alright, Miss Bickerton," Fiona's gynecologist, Doctor Abigail Carter spoke with a heavy Cockney accent and a slightly shrieky voice that has Eddie trying not to cringe. "Let's have a look-see at what your baby is doing."

"Will we be able to find out the sex of the baby?" Fiona questioned, rubbing her slightly bulging belly.

"That is the hope, dearie." Abigail smiled gently at her patient as she prepared the ultrasound machine. "Have the symptoms gone away?"

"Mostly." Fiona nodded, lifting her shirt to reveal the smooth, stretched skin of a pregnant stomach.

The gynecologist nodded, typing Fiona's name into the ultrasound machine, and reached for the bottle of blue gel. Fiona took a few deep breaths and motioned Eddie over hurriedly while her doctor prepared to do the ultrasound. Eddie positioned himself at her head, making sure he had a clear view of the screen, and watched her doctor squeeze a glob of gel onto Fiona's stomach. He couldn't help but laugh slightly when her skin erupted in goose-bumps from the chill of the gel.

"Okay, dearie, let's see what we have." Abigail turned to the screen and pressed a few buttons before turning back to Fiona and positioning the wand on her stomach. She found what she was looking for and pointed to a distinctively shaped shadow. "There's your baby."

"Can you tell if it's a boy or a girl?" Fiona questioned softly, unable to help the sleepiness that was quickly overtaking her from Eddie's hand running through her hair.

"One moment," Abigail moved the wand around and pressed a little harder in order to achieve the correct position for determining the sex of the baby. When she found what she was looking for, she turned back to her patient and smiled at the young woman on the table and her boyfriend. "Well Mister Arlette, Miss Bickerton, it appears that you will have a little baby girl to spoil."

"Eddie, it's a girl!" Fiona's hazel eyes were filling with tears when she looked up at him in excitement.

"I know!" Eddie leaned down to kiss her head.

"Congratulations. I will print these out for you." Abigail wiped the wand clean and handed Fiona a towel to wipe the gel off of her stomach. Once the wand was clean and back in it's proper place, she arranged to print a set of photos before turning back to Fiona. "I am concerned about your low calcium levels, Fiona. I understand as a vegetarian, you do not eat dairy but calcium is crucial to fetal development and preventing pre-eclampsia. Pre-eclampsia is a problem, I'm sure you don't want to deal with nor do you want your baby to lack the nutrition it needs to develop properly."

"Of course not!" Fiona's obvious alarm sent Eddie into protective mode.

"What does she need to do?" Eddie questioned, moving around to the table to comfort his girlfriend.

"Incorporate more calcium into her diet. There are plenty of vegetarian foods high in calcium." Abigail suggested, reaching for Fiona's hand to give a reassuring squeeze, focusing her soft brown eyes on the pregnant blonde. "The next time you come in, we'll run another test. If you're still testing low, I'll simply give you a calcium supplement but I do think simply adding more calcium to your diet should correct this problem. As of now, you're not in danger but you need to eat calcium otherwise it could become a problem."

"I'll make sure she does." Eddie nodded, his hand absently rubbing circles on Fiona's back.

"Okay, you're free to go. I'll have the nurse schedule your next appointment at the front desk." Abigail smiled, "Your pictures will be waiting for you."

"Thank you, Doctor Carter." Eddie can't help but grin at the thought of the first pictures of his daughter waiting for him.

"Yes, thank you Doctor Carter." Fiona nodded, clutching Eddie's shirt as she eases herself off of the exam table.

Abigail escorted them to the front desk and arranged her next appointment. Fiona was handed a card with the date and time for her next appointment along with an envelope with her ultrasound pictures. Eddie kept a protective hand on her back as he escorted her to the car. The drive home was spent with Eddie reassuring Fiona that they would work out her diet and make sure that nothing happened to their daughter. A promise of a trip to the grocery store when he had more than a few hours off of work seemed to do the trick and when they arrive home, she's relatively calm.

xxx

"So is it Pennywise or Carrie?"

That was the first question Eddie heard upon opening the car door. He laughed and climbed into the car, buckling up for the ride. He had only been given two hours off from work to accompany Fiona to her doctor's appointment and, really, he should have known, in hindsight, that his partner would ask that question he made the arrangement to ride into Scotland Yard with Pippin. He looked over at Pippin, who was turned in his seat with his knee jammed against the gear-shift, one arm resting on the steering wheel and the other wrapped around the back of the seat.

"Why would I name my daughter after a psycho with a Mommy-complex?" Eddie raised his eyebrows at his partner. "Fiona would kill me and my daughter would need therapy."

"Your daughter?" Pippin's blue eyes widened almost comically when he picked up Eddie's not-so-subtle hint and Eddie's nod only spurred on his excitement. "You're having a daughter?"

"Yes."

"Congratulations, mate!" Pippin clapped Eddie on the back in congratulations. "So if not Carrie, Christine?"

"No. I'm not naming her after a car either." Eddie shook his head, laughing at his partner.

"Annie?"

"You mean the psycho woman from Misery?" Eddie raised his eyebrows again, skepticism clear on his face. "I'm not naming her after a mentally unstable woman with an unhealthy obsession for a romance novelist. That just screams love complex!"

"The woman from Kujo?" Pippin suggested, backing out of the driveway.

"You mean Donna?" Eddie visibly cringed, "Aside from that being a horrible name, I'm not going to have my daughter growing up with the name of a woman from a Stephen King novel. Psychological issues will abound and Fiona will ship us both off to therapy."

"True."

The ride to Scotland Yard continued without another word as far as Stephen King related names go for a little girl. Although Eddie was positive, Pippin's brain was conjuring up some other horrid name from some novel he's read too many times. They've gone through Carrie, Christine, Annie and Donna, Eddie can only guess that whatever name he's managed to conjure will be horrible. And sure enough, the car was barely in park in front of Scotland Yard when Pippin looked at Eddie and another name fell from his lips without thought.

"Winifred?"

Eddie just growled.

* * *

><p><strong>'Ello Loves! Been a while, hasn't it? Lol! Well, my dearest Niagaraweasel, do you like it? He's having a daughter! You left me enough hints about wanting it to be a girl, I figured, what the hell? So now that it's a girl. Got any name suggestions? <strong>

**Anywho, on my profile it says I'm living like a hermit but I..I..I had too! This story was calling me! I had to answer it! **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. Three words: Body of Proof! Sweet mother of all that is good in this world, if he isn't the sexiest man ABC has ever had grace their screen, I'd like to know who is! **


	31. Paint Chips, Houses and Anxiety

"Ugh!"

Fiona groaned quite over-dramatically from the kitchen table where a spread of pink paint chips lay before her. She's supposed to be picking just the right shade of pink for their baby's nursery but so far all she had accomplished was blurry vision and timing her groans to the songs on the radio. Eddie can't help but chuckle slightly from the stove, where he's stirring bow-tie pasta into a vegetable stir-fry. He knew he shouldn't but his girlfriend was entertaining when she was frustrated, as she so obviously was, and he can't help but laugh slightly everytime she groaned. He made his way over to her and gently massaged the tense knots out of her shoulders.

"Sweetheart, take a break. Dinner's ready and I have something I want to talk to you about anyway." Eddie laughed, planting a kiss on her cheek. "We have plenty of time to decide."

"Okay." Fiona nodded in agreement, gathering up the cards to put away until after dinner.

While she's putting away the paint samples, he dished them both up a heaping plate of pasta. He knew he could quite possibly send her into an emotional tail-spin with what he was about to bring up but he'd been pondering it all day and while it would take some time, he knew that both were relatively simple accomplishments. They couldn't live in her mother's flat forever - especially with a baby on the way - and he wasn't going to be able to live on a work visa for much longer either.

"Looks delicious, Eddie." Fiona complimented, taking her usual place at the table and picking up her fork. She looked up at Eddie, who honest-to-God looks like he was about to explode, and laughed slightly. "What did you want to talk to me about?"

"Fiona, I've been thinking," Eddie began, dropping his fork onto his plate. "Listen as much as I love this place, I think -"

"That it's time we bought our own place?" Fiona posed the question before he can finish his sentence, gently blowing on her hot mug of tea.

"Well," Eddie couldn't keep the surprise off of his face. "Yeah. How'd you - ?"

"I've been thinking about it too." Fiona laughed at the stunned look on his face. "I love this place but it's not ours. I want a house that belongs to both of us."

"So do I." Eddie nodded tenderly, "Which is why I've decided something."

"What?"

"I'm making my stay in London permanent." Eddie told her softly.

"What? Eddie?" It's Fiona's turn to look surprised. "Are you sure?"

"Look, at first I admit, I didn't want to be here - in London or in this flat with you." Eddie paused, gathering his thoughts. "This was probation for a bad drug bust in New York and it wasn't something I looked forward too but now, I can't imagine being anywhere else. I love you Fiona, I want to make my stay here with you permanent."

"What about New York?" Fiona couldn't help but wonder if he was really sure he wants to stay in London permanently.

"Look the way I see it, I could let my work visa expire, pack up and go back to New York. Leave you here to raise our daughter on your own," Eddie shrugged, leaning back in his chair. "But give me some credit, Sweetheart, we both know I'm not going to do that to you."

"I just," Fiona sighed, looking down her bulging stomach. "Eddie, I don't want you to resent me."

"Why would I resent you?" Eddie questioned, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Sweetheart, you're carrying our daughter. I could never resent you for that. I love you."

"But New York - "

"Hasn't been my home for a long time, honey." Eddie shook his head. He pushed his chair away from the table and moved around to kneel beside her chair. He rested one arm on the back of her chair and let his other hand rub her stomach. "You're my home now, sweetheart. London feels more like home than New York ever did and I grew up in New York. Pippin is a great friend and you..Fiona, you're my best friend. You have to know that."

"I just...I don't want you to regret this in a few years when things are crazy." Fiona's eyes are teary and he wondered if it's pregnancy or genuine fear that's inducing her tearful, slightly panicked state.

Eddie just laughed slightly and lifted himself up to press a kiss into the side of her head, "Fiona, in case you haven't noticed, things are already crazy. Things got crazy the second I arrived."

"Are you sure about this?" Fiona asked him once more, her meek, panicky expression reminding him of a frightened child after a nightmare.

"Absolutely." Eddie nodded, kissing her head again. "I love you, Fiona. Nothing is going to change that."

"I love you too."

"Now, you want to finish dinner or turn in for the night?" Eddie asked her gently.

He got his answer when his pregnant girlfriend - he really needed to do something about that title - stood up and grabbed his tie, tugging him down the hall toward his bedroom. He just laughed and followed her obediently. He knew it wasn't anything sexual that she wanted; she just wanted to be close to him. It was something that had started after her accident and the horrible anxiety that had enslaved her. The anxiety reared its ugly head when she felt vulnerable or afraid and she just needed to be close to him and be reassured that it was okay, that he was still right there with her. So that's what he did. Tonight, they'll lay in bed and he'll rub gentle circles on her stomach and talk about the kind of house they'd like to purchase. Right when she was almost asleep - she fell asleep quite easily when he rubs her stomach - she'll whisper that she loves him.

Anxiety, be damned.

* * *

><p><strong>I may or may not have written this chapter while listening to Robert Downey Jr. croon 'In My Dreams' repeatedly...and loudly. Anywho, I started this chapter and stopped but suddenly got the inspiration for it and the rest of it happened in about thirty minutes. I knew that it was going to involve Eddie wanting to become an English citizen and buy his own house with Fiona but let me know if you caught the hint about what else he wants to do. Leave me some love, Dolls. <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**Random tidbit: I call everyone by pet names. If you talk to me, even if I know your name, I will probably call you some random pet name. In fact, just this morning, I called my sister 'dear' when she texted me. It's just a thing that I do. Just thought you should know so if I happen to call you by a pet name, I'm not trying to weird you out, it's just a silly little quirk of mine. **


	32. Of Decisions, Rings and Nigel

A glittering display of diamonds was spread before him and Eddie Arlette was at a complete loss.

His girlfriend was five months pregnant, they're looking into buying flat together and he had been contemplating maxing out his credit card on one of these glittering rocks. He had thought about waiting until after the baby and the flat and everything but the title of girlfriend wasn't really fitting Fiona anymore. She was four months away from giving birth to his child so girlfriend wasn't really working. Hell, when he thought about it, she surpassed girlfriend during those two weeks she spent taking care of him after he was injured in yet another drug bust gone bad. He was just lucky that Scotland Yard had been a little more understanding than might have been necessary at the time.

Back to his dilemma.

The art deco rings were pretty - God knows they were sparkly - but much too geometric for Fiona. The sharp lines and curves didn't seem to fit Fiona; too sharp and entirely too modern. She wasn't like that. She was softer around the edges, much too gentle and loving to ever pull of such a ring. The antique rings were too thickset and not at all something Fiona would wear. The solitaire, emerald and princess cuts were great but all felt too boxy for Fiona. He felt like proposing with one of those rings would be like giving her a box.

The poor store employee, who had been helping his indecisive and judgmental ass for the last half-hour, had been more than patient while Eddie browsed the impressive selection of diamonds. He was browsing the round-cut diamond rings when he saw it.

And by it, he does mean _it. _

The ring, itself, was actually quite simple. The diamond, surrounded by a heart-shaped frame of smaller diamonds, was set in a silver band. It was simple and softer than all of the other rings he had looked at and it was sitting there on its velvet stand, practically screaming Fiona's name at him. The employee, probably all too eager to get rid of him, was quick to get the ring out and let Eddie have a closer look. He didn't need to look at it for long to know that it's the right one.

He quickly filled out a form, gave the worker Fiona's ring size so the appropriate ring can be acquired and promptly handed over his credit card. The ring wasn't quite as expensive as he thought but even if it was, he still would have gone through with it because she's worth it - to him, anyway.

"Eddie," Nigel's voice cut through him like jagged-edged glass; harsh and painful. "What are you doing here, mate?"

Eddie tried to hide his cringe as he turned toward the British man - Fiona's ex-boyfriend, to be exact - and shrugged casually; "Buying a ring, you?"

"Ring, too." Nigel nodded toward the display of solitaire-cut rings beside him.

Awkward silence filled the space between them. Eddie was pretty sure this is the most awkward moment in the history of moments. Here he was, buying an engagement ring for the very woman that Nigel had been in a relationship with and the icing on the cake was that he had gotten her pregnant. Here's hoping Nigel wouldn't discover that information. It had been eight months. Eight months of bliss, for the most part, for him and Fiona and he really didn't want the possibility of Nigel re-entering their lives to ruin that.

"So, who are you buying the ring for?" Nigel nodded toward the slip of paper in his hand.

"Oh, um, Fiona." Eddie shrugged, crumpling the paper into his pocket in an awkward attempt at hiding it as if it displayed some big secret. Secret's out. Nigel knew. No point in hiding it now but he still felt awkward, holding the receipt for the engagement ring he intendded to put on Nigel's ex-girlfriend's finger.

"You mean, you and Fiona?" Nigel's vague hand motions are difficult to interpret but Eddie got the jist of it - God help him.

"For eight months now." Eddie nodded.

"And you're already considering marriage?" Nigel laughed sardonically. "What'd you do, get her pregnant?"

"Actually no," Eddie lied, mentally conjuring up an apology that would suffice to keep him in the good graces of his girlfriend. "I love her."

The store clerk handded him a bag containing the ring and his credit card, muttering a quick offering of gratitude for doing business with them before scurrying away to help another customer. His conversation with Nigel had gone south and quickly. Without another word, Eddie turned and left the store. A quick glance back at Nigel who has turned back to the display case and then to the velvet box sitting in the bag, reassured what Eddie already knew.

He was, without a shadow of doubt, making the right decision.

* * *

><p><strong>So here's the deal, I have had a really crummy night and I really don't wish to go into detail but I'm really not feeling the love right now so if you could just please leave me a nice review, even for this short, filler chapter, that would be great! I miss you guys. I can always count on my reviewers to make me feel better! Anyway, the reason I had that little exchange between Eddie and Nigel end at Eddie telling Nigel that he loved Fiona is because, Nigel had implied that Eddie was only going to propose to Fiona because she's pregnant - even without knowing that she really is pregnant. Yes, Fiona is pregnant but Eddie wants Nigel to know that he doesn't need to get his girlfriend pregnant to marry her. It made more sense in my head but you get it. <strong>

**Anyway, I'm going to go because I've had a crummy night and I just needed to write this because well...I am not exactly feeling emotionally stable right now but when I'm writing that doesn't matter so I did what I do best, I found my escape and ran with it. Sorry for the shortness, just needed an escape. **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. Can we just discuss Body of Proof? I mean, DAMN! Talk about emotionally unstable, I thought Megan was off her rocker and then the chief...and then Megan and Tommy and oh sweet baby Jesus, I'm going into non-sensical chatter mode. It was just...DAMN! **


	33. Lullabies and Kicks

_"Hush, little baby, don't say a word. Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird..." _

She was singing.

It was an old lullaby, made enchanting by her British lilt. He stopped just in the doorway of the living room, out of sight, content to watch her. Her coral maternity shirt was bunched underneath her breasts, exposing the creamy skin of her expanding stomach and her fingers rubbed gentle patterns as she sang. He wasn't quite sure why she was doing it but after his confrontation with Nigel, it was strangely comforting to watch her. She cradled her stomach with the same tenderness, he imagined, she'll use to hold their baby. It was a testament to the kind of woman she was; to the kind of mother she'll be.

It was a sweet reminder of why she was his.

She'd kill him for ever thinking that way but it was true. This Fiona, the one who sang to her unborn baby, the one who spent long days and nights tucked in a hospital room with him, this was the woman that he imagined spending the rest of his life with. This was the woman he wanted to buy a flat with. She was his reason for staying in London. One of his only reasons. Fiona, with all of her fiery brashness and sweet tenderness, was the embodiment of everything he'd ever wanted in a woman.

"...and if that horse and cart fall down, you'll still be the sweetest little baby in town." Her voice tapered off to a quiet hum, words no longer audible.

He slipped into the room without a word and kissed her head, lingering for a moment to revel in the sweet spiciness of her shampoo. A serene smile illuminated her face and her hazel eyes closed. She was perfectly content to enjoy the moment and soak up every single bit of his tender affection. The tension from his confrontation with Nigel dissipated and his muscles released from their tense knots. He squeezed her shoulders before moving around to sit on the coffee table in front of her.

"She was kicking, quite a bit." Fiona's soft voice was soothing, calming him further. "Singing seems to calm her but she's kicking again, would you like to feel?"

"Sure," Eddie nodded.

Fiona grasped one of his hands in hers and brought it to her stomach, settling it against the taut flesh just under her ribs. It took a few seconds but he knew when it happened; it was a delicate flutter against his hand and for a second, he thought he imagined it but when it happened again, he knew that it wasn't his imagination. His daughter, his baby girl, just kicked his hand and it was the single-most amazing thing he has ever experienced in his life.

"That is amazing," He soundded breathless and in awe of what just happened. "Amazing."

"That is our daughter, Eddie." Fiona smiled up at him, a bit teary eyed. "Our daughter. Can you believe it?"

He just shook his head and felt for another flutter of his daughter's feet against his hand. He was leaning toward her stomach, eyes riveted by the sight of her expanding baby bump. She reached out and gently ran her hand through his hair, her hazel eyes focused on his face. The expression of unbridled amazement made her so happy and so proud. He was so ecstatic about a little kick that she wondered what he'll be like when he actually meets her.

"You can talk to her, Eddie." Fiona told him gently, keeping her voice quiet. "She can hear you."

"Sweetheart I, I don't know what to say." Eddie was truly speechless for once and Fiona just smiled.

"Just tell her who you are, Eddie."

"Hi baby," Eddie can't help but laugh a little bit, the idea of it being his daughter kicking Fiona's ribs and subsequently his hand was still a bit surreal. "It's Daddy. I haven't met you yet but I can't wait too. Neither can your Mommy. We love you already...Fiona, I.."

"It's okay, Eddie." Fiona reassured him. "I have some good news. I found a flat today. Two bedroom, two bath. Within our price range."

"Did you call about it?" Eddie inquired, looking up at her.

"Yes. The lady said that we can go look at it anytime so I told her we'd try to make it by tomorrow." Fiona told him, "If that's okay with you."

"Of course, I'll get Pippin to cover my shift." Eddie nodded, meeting her eyes.

"That's another thing I wanted to talk to you about," Fiona smiled, already knowing that what she was going to tell him was going to make him happy. "Eddie, Pippin has been your best friend since you got here and I love you so by extension I love Pippin. Eddie, I want to make Pippin our daughter's godfather, do you think he'd like that?"

"Fiona, he'll love that." Eddie laughded, reaching for her. "Pippin is just as excited about this kid as we are."

"Good." Fiona nodded, schooling her face into a neutral expression before speaking again. "It's going to boost his ego, you realize that, right?"

Eddie's eyes widened almost comically when he realized she's right; "Damn it!"

Fiona just giggled.

* * *

><p><strong>Can you say FILLER? Yeah, this was a filler. I'm sorry. The next chapter will focus on Eddie and Fiona buying a flat together and I might bring her mother back in, somehow. I don't know. I feel like it could be awkward but it was awkward the last time so, yeah. On another note, I have named this kid. I won't reveal it just yet but I have decided that it will have meaning for Eddie. Mentioning names, while researching British names - because I want her to have an American name and a British name - I found something out. Okay, so if you read my Human Target stories you might have noticed that I have had Chance call Ilsa 'Ilse'. I feel really stupid because Ilse is not a variant of Ilsa, it's actually the opposite. Ilsa is a variant of Ilse. And both names are variants of Elisabeth. So yeah, I felt dumb when I saw that. Lol! Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls.<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. If you look online for Mark Valley on Kevin Pollak, you will find a great interview. It's over an hour long but so worth it. **


	34. Anxiety Is Hell

Tears stung her eyes.

Why was she doing this?

She was just making herself miserable. It was cold. Too cold. She couldn't seem to stop shivering and she was hungry and tired. She just wanted to go home. She didn't want to be there, didn't want to see the perfect white walls and the shine of a freshly-waxed hardwood floor. She wanted to go home to her ivory walls and soft, carpeted floors. She wanted to home to baby blue sheets and a white comforter that wasn't so white and could probably do with a good wash, on a mattress that probably needed to be flipped. She wanted to go home to Eddie's clothes in a closet with hers. She wanted to go home to her small kitchen and crowded living room. She didn't want this one. She wanted to stay where she was.

She knew she was being childish and petulant but this wasn't what she wanted. This flat. It was too shiny. Too new. It wasn't right. It wasn't home. It was never going to be home to her. The fluroescent lights were bright and flooded each room with a wash of white light that hurt her eyes. The walls were too clean, gleaning a brilliant white in the light. The hardwood floor was cold and she was afraid of falling on the slick surface. Each room was too open, spacious. It wasn't small and cozy like her current home. She wanted what she knew. Small, cozy, and familiar; not large, airy, and strange.

She hated it.

All of it. But she was the one who found it and wanted to look at it. She didn't count on hating it. She looked at it with blurred vision and a nervousness rattling her to the very core. She shuddered and shivered, feeling nauseous and unbalanced in such an open space. Fear and nervousness and just a feeling of being overwhelmed boil hot in a couldron of adrenaline, spilling over and rolling through her veins, burning hot trails and sending her heart into a frenzy.

She couldn't do this.

She needed out. She needed out before something happened. Before the glass shattered. Before the bullet explodeed out of the gun. She needed out because the walls were closing in and she can just see the blur of black creeping into the edges of her vision. She wanted to throw up. She wanted to curl up in a ball and scream and cry and shake. She wanted to go home and lay in bed with Eddie and have him talk to her stomach, have him whisper in her ear that it would be okay. Nothing would happen to her. To them. She would be okay.

She wanted Eddie.

She wanted his arms and his voice, calming her, reassuring her. She wanted him to take her home.

"Eddie!" Fiona knew she must sound like a baby but she doesn't care. If wanting her boyfriend made her a baby then a baby she would be. "Eddie, where are you?"

The room echoed. Loudly. It only added to the illusion. The illusion that this was all going to fall away and she was going to be back in that store, with that gun still pointed at her and Eddie wasn't going to be there. She knew it was real but the adrenaline was causing a flurry of thoughts and she didn't have the energy to sort through them, to filter out the illusions and the reality. Her emotions were buzzing around in her head, like a swarm of bees ready to sting her all once.

"Sweetheart?" Eddie appeared in the doorway, eyebrows furrowing in confusion. "Sweetheart, what's wrong?"

"Eddie?" Fiona could only see the rough human-shaped blur that draped the doorway. Seeing the particular details of Eddie's face was damn near impossible with the tears and the blackness. So much blackness. "Eddie?"

"It's me, sweetheart." His hands were on her face and his voice was in her ear. It was soothing and familiar. She needed it. "Sweetheart, focus."

"I can't." She sounded helpless and broken; like a small child after a nightmare, unable to return to the comfortable sleep, they had once been so safely coccooned in. "I can't."

In the throes of an anxiety attack, she had never been good at focusing. She couldn't sort out her thoughts and she couldn't focus her eyes on anything to be able to see it properly. It was one of the things he had noticed. But this felt different. This wasn't her normal anxiety attack. This was far worse. She was shaking and cold and looked like she might throw up. Her hazel eyes were black; pupils dilated from too much adrenaline. This wasn't something he could chase away with words and backrubs. It was far too dangerous.

"Sweetheart, I'm going to take you to the hospital, alright?" He scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest, like a small child. "It's going to be okay. I promise."

The truth was, he was making empty promises, because he didn't know. He'd never seen her like this before. Eddie was used to the anxiety attacks. After the hostage situation in the store that she worked at, anxiety attacks were commonplace but never like this. Never to the point that he had feared for her life or for his baby girl's. Maybe that's what made it so different. He had a baby girl to think about now. It wasn't just him and Fiona and the anxiety attacks. It was him, Fiona, their baby, and the anxiety attacks.

xxx

Two hours later, he sat in an uncomfortable hospital chair, nuzzling his face into the back of Fiona's hand. She was resting comfortably, having been given a sedative and fluids to calm her nerves. They had given him a sedative, more to calm his nerves than to help him sleep. He wouldn't be going to sleep until he knew that his baby girl - or, baby girls, rather are okay. He needed to know that his daughter and the love of his life would be okay.

She looked so peaceful, as compared to two hours earlier when he had carried her in the hospital in a flurry of tears and panic. Her blonde hair was splayed across the pillow and she was tucked comfortably beneath hospital sheets and a green blanket. It didn't look right, though. The IV in her hand, the heart monitor, the oxygen mask. Nothing looked right. It just wasn't Fiona. It wasn't where she should have been. He wanted nothing more than to gather her up and take her home. He wanted to tuck her into bed and whisper that it was all over and she was just fine. But he couldn't. All he could do was wait and hope. So when the doctor came in that heavy door, grim and unpleasant, it was like blowing out a match.

"Mister Arlette, I have some news about your baby..."

* * *

><p><strong>"...clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right, here I am, stuck in the middle with you..." <strong>

**Hehe! Big hugs if you can guess who sings that or even just give me the title. That's my happy song, right now. It makes me happy because it's funny and upbeat and just a little bit bubble-gum-ish. Anyway, betcha didn't see this chapter coming, did you? Hehehe! Little extreme? Probably but it just poured out and I had to go with it. I'm not going to say whether or not the doctor is going to give Eddie good news, my muse hasn't quite worked that part out yet.**

**Leave me some love, Dolls! **

**Love, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. I'm finding Jeremy Renner extremely pornographic right now, so, yeah. Just wanted to mention that. Lol! **


	35. Good News and Bad News

"Mister Arlette, I have some news about your baby."

The doctor's grim face did nothing to reassure Eddie that any news the doctor might be imparting to him was going to be positive, in any way, but nevertheless, he spared a quick glance at Fiona before standing up to meet the balding man. Although, he had to say that if it weren't for the fetal heart monitor, he might have already gone completely ape on the idiots in this hospital. "What is it?"

"I've contacted her obstetrician for further monitoring of the baby but so far, her heart rate has remained steady and she's shown no signs of anything wrong." The doctor informed Eddie quietly, "I'm Doctor Garrott by the way, Steven if you prefer. Where, may I ask, did this anxiety attack take place?"

"We were looking at a place we thought we wanted to buy but not anymore." Eddie shook his head, looking over at Fiona. "She's been like this for a while. Anxiety attacks, mood swings, even before she was pregnant."

"Do you know what anxiety is?" Steven questioned him.

"Not really."

"Anxiety is the body's fight or flight response, but heightened. It's an over-reaction to stress." Steven explained patiently but his words were sharp and intelligent. "High levels of adrenaline cause symptoms of a panic attack such as increased heart-rate, an inability to focus, nausea, feeling panicked, shortness of breath, etcetera. Most of the symptoms you described to me when you brought her in. Anxiety attacks during pregnancy expose the baby to high levels of cortisol. Since this is the first severe anxiety attack, she's had since being pregnant, the baby will most likely be fine."

"What would happen if she has anymore?" Eddie asked him - although the feeling of dread creeping up on him let him know that he probably didn't really want to know the answer.

"She could deliver prematurely and the baby could have developmental delays. There are a number of long-term effects this could have on her, but the fact is, we won't know more until her obstetrician arrives." Steven explained with a quick glance at Fiona. "Her heart-rate is down to almost normal. It's up but nothing that concerns me. What does concern me is her blood-work. If these calcium levels are any indication, she's been diagnosed with preeclampsia."

"On her last doctor visit," Eddie nodded, shoving his hands into the pocket of his jeans. "We've been working on her diet."

"I'm going to consult with her doctor about a calcium supplement and a Vitamin-B-twelve supplement. Her low levels indicate she's borderline anemic." Steven sighed, sharp gray eyes examining the heart monitors and the oxygen monitor. "Mister Arlette, what concerns me is that she isn't taking the necessary steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy."

"Listen, Doctor Garrott, she hasn't exactly had the best year. There was a hostage situation at the store she worked at and she was caught in the middle." Eddie informed him sharply, not at all liking the doctor's implications. He wasn't sure if he was tired or protective or both but his tone was seething and he practically foamed at the mouth when he finally spoke again. "She was borderline Post Traumatic Stress for a month and has had anxiety ever since. Her pregnancy hasn't been easy on her and anxiety certainly hasn't helped. She was in bed for the first three months and that was when she could get there without throwing up. I understand what you're saying but you need to understand the circumstances. We didn't plan this pregnancy. Hell, we haven't planned our lives for at least a year now."

"I'm sorry. I was not made aware of this. I'll consult with her obstetrician and ensure she receives the care she needs." Steven apologized before stepping out of the room.

It was without his permission that the tears stung his eyes. Damn it to all hell. He had not meant to go off on the doctor like that. He wass exhausted and he couldn't handle the stress anymore. He'd known for a while that this was going to catch up to him. He knew that his technique of just hiding it all away would not prove so tried and true this time. It was going to come out and he wasn't sure he was prepared for the backlash. He collapsed back into the chair and dropped his elbows to his knees, buring his face in his hands.

The broad expanse of his shoulders tremble with a vulnerability so rarely seen in Edward Arlette and it was for the first time that let himself have this moment of vulnerability. His cheeks are quickly dampened with tears. He didn't know why he's crying. He couldn't pinpoint any of the last ten months being the cause because it had been such a jumbled up mixture of happiness and stress and exhaustion. He couldn't say that it was any of it or maybe it was all of it.

He just didn't know.

But he had to let it go. For his sake. For Fiona's sake. For his daughter's sake.

xxx

It was two hours later when her obstetrician arrived. Abigail Carter was a one-woman show, that was for sure. She was a graceful, elegant woman but she had her eccentricities and he thought that was why Fiona adored her. She wasn't cold and clinical. She actually genuinely cared about each of her patients and seemed to adore Fiona just as much as he knew Fiona loved her. She smiled calmly at him as she entered the room and swept her eyes over Fiona's sleeping form.

"How's the patient?" Abigail asked him softly, kneeling beside his chair.

"Calm, for now. But earlier...it was bad." Eddie shook his head, scrubbing his face with his hands. "I have never seen her like that."

Abigail just nodded and stood up, moving closer to Fiona. She examined the heart monitor of mother and baby with equal intensity before speaking again; "Well, all in all, the baby's heart rate seems normal and Fiona's is slowly returning to normal. I want to run some more blood work because I understand Doctor Garrott is concerned about her calcium levels."

"Will they be okay?" Eddie asked her, obviously quite scared of what she might say.

"Oh, I'd say they'll both be fine." Abigail smiled reassuringly, "But you do need to understand that if this happens anymore, there could be negative long-term effects on the baby."

"Like what?"

"Like for instance, prenatal stress has been linked to emotional and conduct problems in girls. That's in children, though." Abigail explained calmly and patiently. "In infants, it tends to lead to temperment problems and an increase in fussiness. It can also cause problems with attention and emotional reactivity along with a decreased rate of mental development."

"Which means?" Eddie was concerned and Abigail clearly sensed that because she smiled reassuringly.

"That your child could develop anxiety as well and it could be just as bad, if not worse than her mother's." Abigail explained, looking over at the heart monitors again. "I really don't think there's anything to worry about though. I'm going to run a prenatal test as well as Fiona's bloodwork. We'll see how that comes back. If her calcium level is low I'm going to give her a calcium supplement and she should be on her way home within the next two days."

"Okay." Eddie nodded although he isn't sure he actually understood any of what she just said.

"Mister Arlette, these tests take a while and Fiona is going to be asleep for quite some time. Might I suggest you venture out for something to eat?" Abigail suggested, noting his exhaustion. "These last few hours have clearly exhausted you and there isn't a thing you can do while we run these tests on Fiona. Go home, take a shower, maybe nap for a bit, get something to eat and come back. You'll feel much better and it'll give you a chance to process everything."

"Alright." Eddie nodded, standing up from his chair. "I need to make some calls. Take off from work for a few more days."

"Go. She'll be fine." Abigail encouraged him. "I promise."

"Call me?"

"Of course."

Eddie reluctantly left the hospital to make some calls and get something to eat. While he knew that he wouldn't be of any use while her doctor ran tests, he also couldn't help but feel like he should have been there with her. Nevertheless, he returned home after a quick stop for a meal he wasn't sure he would eat, and picked up the phone. This was one phone call he dreaded but it had to be done. Her mother deserved to know the truth.

"Hello Missus Bickerton, this is Eddie Arlette. I'm calling about Fiona..."

* * *

><p><strong>Um. Yeah. Soo...'kay, bye! Lol! So I'm just going to go curl up in a ball in a corner and you know...do that the thing that writer's do when their muses hate them and bail out on them for TWELVE freaking days! i.e. I'm going to go coax my muse back into working form and get his fantastic ass in gear - my muse is, essentially, Robert Downey Jr. and yes, his ass is fantastic! Lol! Leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**

**P.S. To my dear niagaraweasel, I wrote this chapter because as much as you love hurt/comfort, I know you were probably secretly hoping for a happy ending on this one. **


	36. Breakdown

The whole story of why Fiona was currently sedated in a hospital room - pregnancy news, included - was spilled to Eloise Bickerton in a tired spiel of words that may or may not have been English, much less coherent. He couldn't really say with any amount of certainty that she understood him and he only knew she was actually listening because of her occasional monosyllabic responses. It's a lengthy, drawn out explanation and by the time he'd finished, he'd been more than ready to hang up the phone. Instead, he waited. And, not that he's not impatient when he's not tired, but the waiting really wore on him.

"I am on my way." Eloise responded curtly.

The phone clicked and he raised his eyebrows, dropping his phone back onto the receiver. "O-kay."

He knew that was probably one hurricane he wasn't prepared to deal with but with lucidity steadily slipping away from him, he had other problems to deal with. Eloise wasn't that much of a worry to him anymore, although the fact that Fiona hadn't told her about the pregnancy concerned him and would be brought up with Fiona when she had recovered. Okay. No. Shake it off, Arlette. Now was not the time to be thinking of his next conversation with Fiona.

Shower. Shave. Eat.

In that order, preferrably. And so, he trudged to the bathroom, unbuttoning his shirt, and shrugging it off with a pained wince as he did. The hot shower soothed his frayed nerves and pulled the tension out of his muscles. He lathered his hair and scrubbed his skin almost raw before rinsing off and stepping out of the shower. He functioned on auto-pilot, drying off, and getting dressed. That was the only way he managed to get a clean pair of jeans and a clean robin's egg blue t-shirt from his closet and put them on.

His mind was not present at the moment.

And that became all too clear when he cut himself three times shaving and with the realization that he hadn't used shaving cream. Damn it. Focus, Eddie. He couldn't help it though. The past few hours played in his mind like a record on loop - Fiona panicking, the doctor sedating her, him going ape on the doctor, and her doctor telling him to go home. Nothing stood out to him quite like Fiona's panic attack. She had, had her fair share of panic attacks but he had never witnessed any as bad as her latest one had been.

The fear.

God, it shook him.

He had never, ever seen someone look so utterly terrified. Not like she had been. Nothing would ever come close to the terror on her face.

His trip down memory lane, or maybe it was nightmare avenue, was interrupted by a series of rapid knocks on the door. He grumbled his way to the door and pulled it open to see his partner and best friend standing there, still in his suit from a day at Scotland Yard, tears in his eyes and a jacket hanging loosely on his arms. Eddie just laughed and grabbed his friend's shirt collar pulling him into the house. Pippin followed him into the kitchen like an obedient puppy, where he grabbed the makings for fresh coffee.

"How'd you hear?" Eddie rasped, scooping coffee grounds into a filter.

"One of the other inspectors was there with his daughter when he saw you come in with Fiona." Pippin explained quietly, "I tried to call you but I guess your phone was off."

Eddie blinked heavily, turning to face his friend, the coffee filter dropping to the ground. There was no hiding the pain or exhaustion. It pulled on every fiber of his being; dragging him down to the point of barely realizing that the tears were once again flooding his face. "She had a panic attack."

"Here?" Pippin inquired gently.

"No." Eddie shook his head, slumping his shoulders forward and scrubbing his face. "At a flat, we were looking at. We were...thinking about buying it."

His shaky breaths rattled in his chest and his voice scratched his throat. He couldn't do this. Not now. He couldn't handle telling it and reliving it. If he had to tell it, if he was forced to go down that road again, he'd never make it. He'd break down and he didn't want to do that, not in front of Pippin. It was difficult enough keeping the tears and the pain at bay when he was alone. Talking about it made it real and he just couldn't do reality right now.

But, reality was a relentless bastard, and it just kept stabbing him in the chest.

"Eddie?"

"Damn it, Pippin! Don't!" Eddie growled at his friend, his hands clenching repeatedly at his sides. "Please, just don't."

"Eddie, you're my best friend. We're partners. We're there for each other. Always." Pippin reminded him firmly. "Don't be a bloody idiot and bail out on that now."

"I can't handle it, Pippin!" Eddie yelled at him. "I can't handle talking to you just like I couldn't handle talking to the damn doctors! I don't want to talk about it! Just leave me alone!"

Okay. Well, that wasn't supposed to go in that direction. Then again, it wasn't supposed to go in that direction with the doctor either but that hadn't ended pleasantly. Although Pippin had known him long enough to know that he didn't mean it, Eddie still regretted ever yelling at his friend. That was no way to treat his best friend and he knew it. He had to swallow his pride and apologize now. That wouldn't be easy, but he had to do it. He had to make sure Pippin understood that he was just upset.

"Well," Pippin brushed off his outburst with a laugh. "That wasn't what I was hoping for but I hope it made you feel better, at least."

Eddie just hung his head, breathing heavily. The anger ebbed away, washed out by a bleak sadness that brought about a fresh wave of tears. Pippin just watched, giving his friend a moment to compose himself. Eddie didn't have the best reputation for handling stress that well - or at all, really - but Fiona and his relationship with her seemed to give him the outlet he needed. There were times though, when Fiona couldn't help him, and he tended to let his temper get the best of him.

"Eddie? You alright, mate?"

"I'm sorry." Eddie whispered hoarsely. "I'm sorry."

"That's alright."

Eddie barely registered Pippin grabbing his shoulders and guiding him to the nearest kitchen chair. The inspector cleaned up the coffee grounds that Eddie had dropped and tossed them, before grabbing the can, a fresh filter, and putting a fresh pot to brew. When the rich scent of coffee filled the kitchen and two mugs had been filled with the dark liquid, Pippin sat down to counsel his friend. While he wasn't technically a counselor, he was a best friend, and he played his role well.

"Okay, what happened?" Pippin sat the mug down in front of Eddie with an emphatic click of porcelain on hardwood. "What's going on?"

"Where do you want me to start?" Eddie pulled the mug closer to him, taking a sip of the strong, black coffee.

Pippin shrugged, sitting down with his own mug. "Well, the beginning is usually a good place."

He hadn't planned on it but his mouth opened and the words poured. The entire story, starting from the time him and Fiona left to look at the flat, and how she had been nervous about it the entire time to the anxiety attack that had landed her in the hospital and what the doctor had told him. Pippin just listened with rapt attention, knowing that all his friend needed was someone he could talk to. The coffee went cold, Eddie's own anxiety ebbed away, and he found himself telling Pippin about coming home to Fiona singing to her stomach and whatever else kept his mind off of Fiona's current predicament.

But, it didn't matter how much he talked, nothing would change.

* * *

><p><strong>Last update for a while. I don't really like it and I might re-write it while I'm gone, but I wanted to give you something before I leave so here it is. Don't feel like rambling like I usually do so just leave me some love, Dolls! <strong>

**Love, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	37. Bedside Vigil

Eloise Bickerton was utterly tornadic in nature.

And, an unkempt mess when strained. A lilac skirt - one, she regretted tailoring to such a close fit - twisted uncomfortably around her knees, wrinkling like mad. The carefully chosen ivory blouse with pearl buttons and tucked in for a slim appearance, gathered at her hips in an unflattering manner, practically untucking itself with every step and her heels clacked on the sterile floor, disrupting the silent calm of the maternity ward. At the moment, her priority was not her appearance but rather, finding out where she might see her daughter. Fiona was of the utmost importance to her whether the cranky old broad of a nurse at the desk wanted to give her, her daughter's room number or not. The calm, polite approach hadn't worked (apparently, third time wasn't a charm) and with this nurse running a damn Olympic triathlon on her already tangled nerves, Eloise was _this close _to losing it.

"Missus Bickerton - "

"Is with me." his open Scotland Yard badge intervened. "Eddie Arlette. How do you like me so far? Not very well, I'm guessing. The minute I walk in here, you become the crabbiest woman this side of the Thames." Tension. Challenge in his eyes, coldness in hers. Cranky nurse, though she may be, she was no match for Eddie's ability to insert his authority into the situation. And his next words could bring her lovely career to a screeching halt. "Now, unless you'd like me to make sure a nice write-up of your conduct reaches your superior, you'll let this go."

"Fine. I'm sure Detective here can show you to her room." the nurse groused succinctly.

"Write-up." Eddie growled warningly.

Eloise turned her head to conceal the amused laughter threatening to escape. Her peripheral vision caught the nurse scoffing and returning to her work. Not that she would have a job much longer with her conduct, at least not if Eddie had a say about it. He closed his badge, turned them away from the desk, and led her away. She had just about stopped her laughter when Eddie leaned down and whispered. "Thank you. I've been wanting to tell her off all week. She made Pippin cry."

"My pleasure, Detective."

"Please," Eddie released her and reached for the door in front of them. "Call me Eddie."

He pushed the door open and ushered her inside before the nurse could bark at them anymore ("I'm pretty sure, she's all bark but let's not find out."). The lights were dim, allowing the rosy orange hue of the sunset to filter through the curtains and throw long shadows on the floor and the walls, slipping underneath the heavy curtain that hid Fiona from view. He gently pulled the curtain back to let Eloise see her daughter. To see someone so small, someone who they both loved dearly, laying in a hospital bed, it scared the hell out of both of them. He missed her. Honest to God, missed her. It hasn't even been a day, but still, he wanted to pick her up and take her home. She's too small to lay there, to be that pale, have tubes and needles in her, to be the way she was.

"She looks a little pale right now." his fingers brush a tender trail along her ashen cheek. "I asked her doctor. She said her color would come back when the sedation wears off. She's just tired."

"She looks so fragile." gone was the abrasive, slightly brash society woman and in her place, someone softer, more maternal, loving even. Without need of encouragement, Eloise took a seat at her daughter's bedside and tenderly cradled one of Fiona's small hands in her own.

Eddie just nodded, trailing his hand to her hair and carefully tucking it behind her ear. Eloise's hazel eyes - god, so much like Fiona's - searched him, waiting for him to answer a question, she dreaded to ask. He seemed to understand and unconsciously rested his hand on Fiona's stomach. "She's fine, but Fiona's looking at bedrest. The doctor's are afraid of premature delivery, a C-section, if Fiona's stress levels keep going up like this."

"She?"

"The baby's a girl, Eloise." Eddie folded himself into the chair on the other side of Fiona's bed. "We found out a week ago - started looking at flats soon after. She found one that we went to look at today but it set her off and I had to bring her in."

"Hasn't she had them before?" Eloise asked him, eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Well, yes. But she wasn't pregnant. As I found out today, they are much worse when she's pregnant." Eddie sighed softly, tugging at his hair with one hand. "I asked her one time - what it was like to have an anxiety attack. She said it feels like falling and there's nothing there to catch you."

"But now, she has..." Eloise trailed off, unable to imagine what her daughter must have suffered when anxiety crept up on her.

Eddie nodded, leaning forward in his chair. He rested his elbows on his knees and steepled his hands under his chin, tired blue eyes focused intently on Fiona's peaceful expression. "Have you been home at all?" Eloise questioned gently, noting the way his shoulders slumped forward in exhaustion.

"I went home about an hour ago while the doctor ran some tests. Showered, ate some leftovers." Eddie shrugged, scrubbing his face with his hands. "My partner, Pippin, he came over. Heard that I had brought Fiona in from another Inspector who was here with his daughter. I came straight here when he left. Can't sleep, anyway."

Silence enveloped them; cocooning them away from having to talk about their emotions - how they felt about this. Eddie had already gone through it with Pippin, he didn't want to go through it again and he suspected that Eloise had no interest in talking about how she felt about all of this. Her only daughter was in the hospital, pregnant and facing bed-rest because of anxiety. He can only imagine she's shuffled through more emotions since she'd arrived than he had in the last eight or so hours since he'd brought Fiona in.

xxx

His voice.

She could hear his voice; the roughness of it, how tired he sounded, and how soft he was being with her mother. She could hear her mother too, the dullness of a woman too tired to speak as she usually would - sharp and merciless. She couldn't make out what they were saying, it all sounded a bit like they were speaking into pillows, but their voices were familiar. She knew them, without a doubt. She just wanted to see them, see their faces, see _his _eyes. Those blue eyes. How tired and red they must be. He sounded so worried when he spoke.

Oh, Eddie.

More concerned about her than about himself. She wondered if he'd gone home at all - take a shower, maybe, eat something. While it was likely he hadn't, unless Pippin had forcibly removed him, she hoped that he had taken a few moments to refresh and regroup before burdening himself with a long wait in an uncomfortable chair. She had been in his position before, and it wasn't easy. Unable to do anything but sit until the doctors delivered what you hoped to be good news felt unproductive and she knew Eddie would be restless.

Whatever she had been given, whatever had lulled her into this state, untangled her nerves and relaxed her. Although, she had been in quite a state when it was being inserted and had given the poor nurse so much trouble, five needles had been disposed of by the time the poor woman was done - while in the middle of an anxiety attack is a hell of a time to realize that you're terrified of needles. Either way, the job was done and she felt significantly calmer than before.

Her eyes felt like sandpaper; gritty and coarse with sleep. She was in desparate need of water and her extremities felt like dead weights. The fluttering kicks of her daughter soothed her, calmed her in ways no sedative could. Thank God. Her daughter is okay. She still kicked and fluttered about, seeming to sense when her mother needed to feel her presence. It felt a bit like she was trying to wake her mother, as if to say that it was okay to wake up.

Her eyelids felt heavy and she struggled to get them open. She blinked a few times to rid herself of the lingering drowsiness before looking around. Eddie was nothing more than a blurry visage of blue eyes and blond hair but he was there and that's all that mattered.

"E-E-Eddie?"

* * *

><p><strong>Not the best, I've ever done, but by no means the worst. Do you know how hard it is getting into an unconscious woman's head? Pret-ty damn hard, let me tell you! I was watching Keen Eddie the other day - and shamelessly drooling over Mark Valley's perpetually disheveled sexiness - and I seemed to have forgotten that he had a catch phrase. "How do you like me so far?" So I decided to make use of it, have Eloise come back, and have them both hold a silent vigil over Fiona's bedside. She's just sedated but they are worried, just the same. And anyway, I thought about having Eddie out of the room when she woke up, and have it kind of scare her a bit, but I've put them through enough, so that didn't happen. I might write an alternate chapter and put it up as a one-shot, though. So yeah. Leave me some love, Dolls!<strong>

**Love, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **


	38. Observation

"E-E-Eddie?"

She was never quite certain what inspired these little moments of observation, as she had them quite often, but she can give a specific reason for right now - not wanting to intrude. Eddie lurched forward in his chair the minute Fiona's sleepy mumble reached his ears and his hand immediately went to her hair, stroking the blonde locks with a tenderness that one would be hard pressed to miss. His eyes brighten and the droopy lids are now open; not to mention the smile that tugged at his mouth.

"Hey," he murmured softly, shifting forward a little more to rest his elbows on the bed. "You're awake."

Even though her eyelids drooped and she still appeared half-asleep, he was relieved by the little bit of hazel he could see underneath the golden crescents of her eyelashes. Her cheeks were still pale and she seemed a bit dazed but a soft, sleepy smile tugged at her lips as she reached for his hand, settling it on her stomach. "She wanted to say hi to Daddy." her head lulled back against the pillow, content to watch him. "Eddie?"

"What is it, Fiona?" Eddie gently rubbed her stomach.

"What happened to me?" Fiona inquired softly, confusion clouding her sleepy gaze.

Eddie sighed and stood up, leaning over to kiss her head. "You had a panic attack, sweetheart." he stroked her hair once more, but whether it was for his own reassurance or hers, he couldn't really be sure. "I had to bring you in. They sedated you and ran some tests. Everything's fine, but you might be facing bedrest."

"Bedrest?"

Her face contorted into an expression of blind panic but was quickly soothed by Eddie's calm strength and warm touch. "They're just worried about the baby, Fiona." he took one of her hands into both of his and brought it up to his mouth to press a tender kiss into her knuckles. "That's all it is. Concern for the baby. For our daughter. They don't want this to happen again."

"Me neither." Fiona shook her head, but she still looked concerned. "But if I'm on bedrest, Eddie - "

"Then, me and the Superintendent will be discussing my schedule." Eddie smiled at his girlfriend. "Don't worry, sweetheart."

"Mum?"

"Hullo darling." Eloise smiled warmly at her daughter, moving forward in her chair to take Fiona's other hand, careful of the IV. "How are you feeling?"

"Tired." Fiona blinked heavily, lulling her head against the pillow to look at both of them. "How long have you been here?"

"Just for a few hours, sweetheart." Eddie assured her carefully. Needn't divulge how long he had actually been there - nor how many nurses had attempted to kick them both out thanks to the cranky broad at the front desk. "Don't worry about us, just worry about you."

"I don't...Eddie?"

"Just relax, sweetheart." Eddie rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, watching her helplessness dissolve into exhaustion and her eyes droop once again. "I know."

"Know what?" Eloise inquired, obviously confused.

"For Fiona, an anxiety attack can be like base-lining her emotions." Eddie explained patiently, his eyes never leaving the serene face of a sleeping Fiona. He spared a glance at Eloise and continued his explanation upon noticing her confusion. "She doesn't know how or what to feel when it's all over because panic attacks take her through most of the spectrum of emotion. She's drained."

"How long does it take for her to recover?" Eloise asked him softly.

"A day or two. When she can get back into her routine." Eddie told her, standing up from his chair. He rolled his shoulders and motioned toward the door. "C'mon. Let's get some coffee and dinner. She'll kill us both if she wakes up and we haven't eaten, yet."

Eloise laughed as she stood up and made her way to the door with the handsome detective. He was really quite charming - she was really starting to understand her daughter's attraction to him. He obviously adored Fiona. Quite frankly, she had never seen anyone soothe Fiona quite as fast as he had when she panicked. Her daughter tended to go into fits of exaggerated panic but it seemed Eddie balanced her out; was the calm rationale to her anxiety.

xxx

The hospital cafeteria food wasn't appetizing but to growling stomachs and rattled nerves, it was better than nothing. That said, he'd be calling Pippin at his own discretion and getting some real food as soon as possible, but for now, a sandwich split between them and a cup of coffee that closely resembled oil sludge would have to do. It was a bit like testing the waters, making sure they weren't likely to toss whatever they ate. They've had enough cortisol released for one day; they need time to recover from the shock.

"How long ago did you bring her in?" she met his eyes over her cup of coffee.

He plucked at a piece of wilted lettuce, crumpled over the crust and released a breath. A glance at his watch told him that it was only eight. "Nine hours ago."

Eloise just nodded, her own hazel eyes dropping down to the stale sandwich on the table. He sighed and finished off his coffee, face contorting at the weird texture and bitter taste. Neither of them really knew what to say, not to each other. This wasn't like the other few times they've interacted. The last few times they'd had a conversation, it'd been cold and a bit clipped, with neither of them really acknowledging the other's emotions. Even in their vigil at Fiona's bedside, they had locked their emotions away, but for what reason, neither could say.

"It's easy, y'know, to hide everything." Eddie mumbled, looking up at her. "Easy to deal with the anxiety before she told me she was pregnant. But, after - I never told her this but I worried through her first trimester. It's different, when you know you have this new little life to think about."

"That's understandable." Eloise nodded, pushing her sandwich and coffee away. "You have a daughter to think about now. It's normal to be worried."

"She was doing so good, until we went to look at that flat." Eddie raked a hand through his hair. "I don't know what happened."

"Perhaps, she's afraid." Eloise told him thoughtfully. She couldn't help but chuckle when his eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "You two built a life together in the flat you're in now - in the one you're renting from me. It hasn't been the easiest by any means but it's been fulfilling and you wouldn't change it, would you?"

"Of course, not." Eddie shook his head vehemently.

"Okay then. So, look at it from Fiona's point of view." she could see it in his eyes, realization was dawning but she had to push him, to make sure he got it. "She lived on her own for a few years before you moved in and then, you come in and life changes. You learned to live together, to love each other. She doesn't want to leave that flat because it brought you to her."

"She's afraid of losing me?"

"No. She's afraid that if you move into a new flat, that life will be different." Eloise corrected, smiling warmly at him. She was developing a certain fondness for this wily detective and while the age difference between him and her daughter was still uncomfortable to think about, she knew that they loved each other deeply. "You have to understand something about my daughter," Oh. This would be difficult to explain but so simple to understand. "Fiona knows what is good for her, it's an uncanny instinct of hers that I'm learning to trust more. She wants what is good for her, what she already loves, not what she has to learn to love. She wants you and your daughter and she wants to stay in that flat."

"Oh."

It was never about moving, or the place that they had looked at, or even Fiona's anxiety. It was about her instincts; about her knowing what was good for her and knowing that moving wasn't what she wanted. And, the more he thought about it, the more he realized that it wasn't what he wanted either. The idea had sounded wonderful when it had first come up as a possibility but at this point in Fiona's pregnancy, at this point in both of their lives', moving would just be stressful and they already had enough of that with Eddie's job pulling him away at any given time.

"You are the most important thing in my daughter's life, aside from her own daughter." Eloise pointed out softly, "That's not likely to change."

"But, that shouldn't mean her risking her health or our daughter's for my sake." Eddie protested.

"I know."

"But, does Fiona?"

* * *

><p><strong>Hiya, loves! So...um, well...I'm at a loss for words. This didn't take very long. LOL! Anyway, I have something to show you. It's a little snippet that was almost the last chapter but didn't quite make the cut. <strong>

_**By the time, Pippin left, Eddie had talked himself down into a hazy stupor of exhaustion and it took every ounce of energy he had left just to drag himself into the living room and collapse on the couch. The lumpy cushions dug into him uncomfortably when he laid down but he needed rest more than he needed comfort at this point and his bed was just too far. He let his mind drift back to that day, before everything seemed to crumble, when he had come home to Fiona singing to her stomach. The old lullaby enchanting and soothing in ways, he hadn't known possible. **_

_**"Hush little baby, don't say a word..." he recited the lyrics to himself, closing his eyes. His shoulders shifted against the cushion and once he was comfortable, once again, he began mumbling. "Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbird.." **_

_**And, almost as if she was really there with him, he could hear her voice, clear as a bell in his head. Her gentle lilt and the easy way it tapered off into a gentle hum; the rhythm kept but the lyrics slowly dropped. The tenderness and the sweetness, it's all there in his head. **_

**Yeah, so I thought I would share this with you because it didn't make the final cut but I thought you would enjoy it. Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls! **

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove**


	39. Best Friends, Food, and Answers

_Bring Chinese. _

Always tactful, that Eddie.

He phoned in an order to the Chinese restaurant down the street, ordering favorites and something for Fiona's mother. He hadn't personally met Eloise Bickerton but Eddie had been kind enough to send another text informing him of her dietary choices before the order was placed. With a good twenty minutes until pick-up time, he headed home to freshen up before visiting Fiona in the hospital. He dropped his keys, wallet, and badge on the coffee table and headed to his bedroom to secure his gun and take a quick shower.

His gun was locked away in his safe and a quick browse of his closet produced a clean pair of jeans and a clean (okay, clean-ish, the smell was a bit questionable) t-shirt. A hot shower scrubbed away the stress of the day and he covered up the scent of desparately needing to do laundry with a splash of cologne. He pulled on his shoes, checked his safe, and gathered up his wallet and keys and headed out.

Oh. Wait. That nurse at the front desk hated him.

"Yep, better grab me badge." he mumbled under his breath, scooping up his police badge.

Forty pounds and a bag of Chinese food (there may have been a sly wink given to glum looking girl working the register), left him fully prepared to spend at the very least three hours in hospital. He knew visiting hours ended in about two but he could swing three once the cranky nurse left. His badge and some strategic flirting went a long way. And, in true Monty Pippin style, he was a total idiot and a total gentleman all rolled into one blond haired, blue eyed package. He stopped for flowers for Fiona, yes, but he also sang loudly and stupidly in the car on his way to the hospital.

That said, when he pulled up to the hospital, he wasn't surprised to find Eddie waiting for him at the entrance.

"Hey Pippin."

Yikes.

He loved Eddie - the man was his best friend but he looked exhausted. His handshake was weak, his eyes drooped heavily, and the heavy bags under them gave him a gaunt, slightly zombie-ish appearance. His clothing was rumpled and his hair was mussed. All in all, the man looked a wreck. "Hey," he squeezed one of Eddie's shoulders. "You alright, mate?"

"Long day." Eddie murmured.

Pippin just nodded in understanding and followed him into the hospital. The muted parchment colors of the hospital only exaggerated Eddie's bedraggled appearance and Pippin was quite certain, the man would be admitting himself to the hospital if he didn't go home and rest. After they had, had something to eat, Pippin was driving him home himself and he was going to make sure Eddie at least got a few hours of sleep. It was only when they walked into Fiona's hospital room did Eddie brighten and Pippin knew why - she was awake and holding quite an animated conversation with her mother. When she caught sight of them, she smiled and ushered them in excitedly, happy to have visitors.

"Flowers," he presented the bouquet of wild flowers with a flourish, like an illusionist presenting his assistant. "For the lovely lady."

"Thank you, Inspector." Fiona's breathless laugh was like music to their ears.

"I also come bearing the gift of the gods." Pippin took a dramatic pause and held up the bag of food. "Actual food. With actual nutritional value."

There was a round of audible sighs of relief and they made quick work of sorting the food out while Eddie went to feed the vending machine a couple of pounds for four bottles of water. Any hospital staff would have been greeted by an odd sight. Eddie and Fiona sharing a small hospital bed and eating out of each other's containers, Eloise looking on, and Pippin regaling them with stories from Scotland Yard of tomfoolery from suspects and Inspectors alike.

xxx

"Eddie," Fiona nudged her half-asleep boyfriend. "Eddie, let Pippin take you home."

"I'm alright." Eddie scrubbed his face with his hand.

"You're falling asleep in a hospital bed. You are not alright." Fiona corrected him, running her hand down the length of his spine. "Eddie, you're exhausted, you need sleep."

Pippin just laughed as he polished off his water and tossed the bottle in the trash before standing up. He skirted around the foot of the bed and avoided tripping over chairs to make his way to his partner. He helped him up off of the bed and clapped him on the back. "S'alright mate, let's get you home." turning to Fiona, he flashed a dazzling smile. "I'll tuck him in and sing him a lullaby."

Fiona giggled and squeezed Eddie's hand. "His favorite is Rock A Bye Baby."

"Oh good. I know every single verse." Pippin couldn't help grin mischievously.

"Goodnight Eddie. Love you." Fiona smiled, watching Pippin guide him out of the door.

"'ight, ove you." he half-mumbled, half-slurred, his drowsiness seeming a bit more like inebriation.

Pippin laughed and made a mental note to remind Eddie of this in the morning when he brought him back for his car. Leaving Eddie against the door, he made his way back to Fiona and leaned down to give her a hug and kiss her forehead. "Feel better, my darling. I do need help with this bloody fool."

"Me too, Pippin." Fiona giggled, kissing his cheek. "Thank you, for the flowers."

It was a curious sight for Eloise to witness; to see her daughter hold some sort of spell over not one but two Inspectors from Scotland yard. It was quite a sight to see, really. They leave with the promise to return bright and early with breakfast. "Darling," Eloise cradled one of her daughter's hands. "I'm afraid I must be going soon as well, the trip is proving to be exhausting. Is there anything I can get you before I go?"

"I believe I'm alright for the time being, Mum." Fiona squeezed her mother's hand. "The nurse's keep me well supplied in water and I'm not going to be hungry for quite a while."

"Oh yes, Inspector Pippin spoiled you."

"I think Eddie might have had a hand in that as well." Fiona laughed, sinking down into the bed. "I'll see you tomorrow, then."

"Yes, darling." Eloise stood to leave and leaned toward her daughter, smoothing her blonde hair and kissing her head. "Goodnight."

"Night Mum."

xxx

Abigail Carter sighed to herself, focused intently on Fiona's charts. Her calcium levels were rising but she still wanted to increase Fiona's intake to keep her stable. But, there was still something else and she honestly wondered why Fiona hadn't been officially diagnosed - the woman should have been on anxiety medication and well in control of it by now, but no doctor had seen fit to diagnose her, apparently. She remained undiagnosed and struggled with it. It was something that Abigail, herself, had been through and it was a very hard, sometimes lonely road to travel. "Zoë," she greeted her assistant when the line clicked. "Please make note in Fiona Bickerton's file. Severe Anxiety."

She ended the call with her assistant fairly quickly and picked up the clipboard, containing the hospital's account of what was wrong with Fiona when she was brought in. It was time to help the woman and prevent this from happening again.

"G'Morning, dearies!"

"Good Morning, doctor!" Fiona looked up from her breakfast.

Abigail almost couldn't help but laugh at the scene before her. It was obvious that Eddie had gone above and beyond when it came to Fiona's breakfast. Crepes with whipped cream, fresh fruit, and a bottle of orange juice. He was in the chair beside her bed, not so subtly stealing a piece of fruit when he thought Fiona wasn't looking. She almost hated to break the bad news when it was clear her patient was feeling better; much more alert and playful, but this needed to be said.

"Good Morning, doctor." Eddie greeted around a blueberry, nodding toward the blond man to his right. "This is Inspector Monty Pippin."

"Morning Doctor." Pippin greeted with a smile.

"Morning Inspector." Abigail smiled, sobering up as she turned back to her patient. "Fiona, I have some news for you."

"What is it, doctor?"

Fiona's concern was evident and she blindly reached for Eddie, who was quick to take her hand and calm her down. Abigail sighed as she set the clipboard down by Fiona's legs and said everything she needed too. "I'm diagnosing you with anxiety. You've been for several check-ups, since you were held hostage and I'm not sure why you haven't been diagnosed before now, but I'm making it official."

"Anxiety." Fiona couldn't quite wrap her tongue around it. Her eyebrows knitted together in curiosity and she met her doctor's eyes. "So, what does this mean?"

"For right now, nothing." Abigail shook her head. "While you're pregnant, you're under the care of a doctor, so I can monitor it. But, once you have your little girl, you'll consult with your doctor about this diagnosis and take the proper steps to help control it."

"Anxiety."

"Sweetheart," he called her attention, reaching up to stroke her hair. "We finally have some answers. We finally know what's causing this. It's going to be okay."

"He's right, Fiona."

Abigail smiled reassuringly at her patient. "I have it too. An official diagnosis is just an answer to all those question you've had since you were held hostage. It's an answer to the nightmares, the flashbacks, even the possible insomnia."

"So, it's a good thing?"

She still wasn't grasping it but it was perfectly normal - it had taken Abigail nearly a month of being on medication to wrap her head around it. She squeezed Fiona's arm. "Don't fret, dearie. It's a good thing. A diagnosis means we can prevent this from happening again and control it, before it leads to a breakdown."

"What now, Doctor?" Eddie asked her, looking at her over Fiona's head, seeing as how Fiona had gone silent.

"I'll gather up all the information I can for you to read." Abigail told him, picking up the clipboard. "Mister Arlette, it may be a shock but an official diagnosis is what she's needed to make her regular doctor listen to her. She won't be brushed off when she complains of insomnia or says she has no appetite. She'll be given something to help."

Eddie nodded but like Fiona, he was having a bit of a hard time wrapping his head around it. Anxiety - his beautiful girlfriend, one of his best friends, had anxiety. On one hand, it explained so much of what had been happening to her, but on the other, it just seemed so out there. It didn't seem right to say she had it. To say that she needed medication, or therapy, or whatever it was that the doctor would recommend. While he wanted to hug her for finally giving them the answers they didn't know they needed, all he could muster was a smile.

"Thank you, doctor."

* * *

><p><strong>Don't you just love me? Lol! Actually, you should because things are looking up for Fiona. I know it doesn't seem like it but when you've been through as much as she has, an official diagnosis; finally knowing what put you in the hospital is a big relief. It's just shock that will wear off once they've had some time. And isn't Pippin just great? I think I'd benefit greatly from having Pippin as a best friend. Heaven knows it'd be entertaining. Anyway, leave me some love, Dolls!<strong>

**Love ya, **

**RobertDowneyJrLove **

**P.S. Twenty-four hours. Almost exactly twenty-four hours. I don't recall ever doing this before. New record. **


	40. Pushing Limits and Breakdowns

"Fiona, please - "

"I'm not a child, _Mother._"

"I know that, but Fiona Elyse, if you don't sit down in this wheelchair - "

"Knock, knock." Eddie Arlette rapped his knuckles on the wall, interrupting the mother-daughter argument, it seemed he had walked in on. If it wasn't so apparent that an actual knock-down drag-out fight was becoming a very real possibility, he might haved allowed himself a laugh at the sight that greeted him. Fiona was sitting on the edge the hospital bed, arms crossed in stubborn defiance, while Eloise was standing in front of her, wheelcheer at her side, silently arguing with her daughter. "What's going on?"

"It would appear my daughter," a pointed glare in Fiona's direction and he can see the scarlett flush blossom along her cheekbones. "has developed a sudden aversion to a wheelchair."

Eddie just laughed and made his way over to his girlfriend, placing his hands on her shoulders. When she looked up at him, there was a certain defeat in her eyes, and he knew. She felt helpless, treated as if she was incapable of doing things for herself, and she hated it. "I know you're not helpless, but you are still on the mend, sweetheart. And _these_," he brushed his thumb along the dark circles underneath one of her eyes. "are all I need to know that you are not strong enough to walk out of here on your own."

"But Eddie - " Fiona protested.

"Look," Eddie interrupted gently, "The way I see it, you can get in that wheelchair and let me or your mother wheel you out of here _or,_" his head tilted toward the door. "I can go get Doctor Carter and let her tell you what I'm telling you now. That you aren't strong enough."

"Okay."

If Eloise was surprised by how easily Eddie broke through Fiona's resolve, she hid it well. Eddie helped Fiona up off of the bed and kept his arm around her waist, should she need support. Despite her initial reluctance, Fiona lowered herself into the wheelchair and settled in for a ride. Eddie grabbed her bag, the folder full of papers Doctor Carter had printed for them to read up on anxiety - the symptoms, causes, and treatment options after Fiona's delivery - and followed them out of the room.

"Am I still on bedrest?" Fiona looked up at Eddie, silently pleading for him to say no.

"Yes." Eddie nodded, reaching down to stroke her head. "But, I'm going to talk with the Superintendent about my schedule."

"Eddie, you'll go crazy with nothing to do."

Her concerned protest was sweet, and even he had to admit, she had a valid point. He was a bit of a work-aholic, but he could handle a couple of months of part-time desk work if it meant she was happy and healthy and on her way to a healthy delivery. "I'll go crazier if I leave you home alone." Eddie told her plainly. "I can work from home, take care of you, and it'll be nice to have some time off."

"But, three months?" she looked understandably skeptical. "Eddie, you can't handle three months of downtime."

"Technically, only two." Eddie countered.

"Eddie - "

"I'll be fine, Fiona." Eddie reassured her, because, Lordy she was going to drive him up the wall with all of her protesting.

"But - " Apparently, and Fiona wasn't sure why, she was being a stubborn little git today, because she refused to let this go.

"Fiona Elyse!" Eloise barked sharply, "Enough!"

"Mother!"

Okay.

What the hell is going on with her? She's never like this; stubborn and arrogant and obnoxious, maybe, but this is different. She's being grumpy and angry and argumentative (which, yes, is undoubtedly part of her nature but not in this way) and, Eddie was quickly growing tired of it.

"You're being awfully stubborn, today." Eloise grumbled, pushing her daughter hurriedly through the corridor.

"No I'm not." Fiona pouted, crossing her arms over her chest again.

"Yes, darling, you are." Eloise did her best not to seem patronizing but honest-to-God, her daughter was about to drive her crazy. Deciding to try a different approach, she softened considerably. "Any particular reason you'd like to share?"

"I'm just..." Scared. Yes, that worked. Not that she'll ever say it.

"Oh, just spit it out, Fiona." Eddie sighed.

"I'm leaving one bed to go to another!" Fiona cried foul, "It hardly seems fair!"

"Now, Fiona - "

"Don't Now Fiona me, _Mother._" Fiona drawled mockingly.

"Fiona Elyse Bickerton!" her daughter thought herself old enough to avoid being bent over her mother's knee and getting a firm swat but Eloise was one outburst away from showing her that she was _not _too old and too much more of this crap and she'd be getting a demonstration of just how _not old _she was.

"Hey, whoa!" Eddie cut in before things could get out of hand. "This is a hospital - hardly the place for a mother-daughter spat. I'm with Scotland Yard, but even I have my limits when it comes to hospital policy." he pinned Fiona with a stern, cutting glare that spoke of his intolerance for her current behavior. "Your mother didn't drive all this way just to get lip from you. I don't know where all this crap is coming from but as your mother is close to demonstrating, it isn't working out in your favor."

"Well, maybe, if you'd listen." Fiona sulked back in the wheelchair.

"We have!" Eddie all but snarled. "I'm a patient man, but, sweetheart, you're pushing your limits!"

That was it.

The straw that broke the camel's back, so to speak.

Her eyes filled with tears and her bottom lip trembled because this was the last thing she wanted because if she was being perfectly honest, all of this, the lashing out, it's just because she's scared. Terrified, even. She doesn't want this to happen again, and even though the bedrest should prevent it, she doesn't know for sure that this won't happen again. Eloise jolted a stop when Eddie dropped Fiona's bag and stepped in her path. He kneeled down in front of Fiona, reaching up to brush her cheek with the backs of his fingers. "Hey," his voice was softer, now, a little less gruffness and a little more tender. "C'mon, Fiona. What's really going on? This isn't like you."

"I'm scared, Eddie." Fiona's voice was strained and watery, letting her eyes close.

"Scared?" he took one of her hands in his. "Of what? Of this happening, again?"

"Yes."

"Honey, this isn't going to happen again. Doctor Carter put you on bedrest to ensure that." Eddie tried to reassure her but it proved futile; her shoulders were drawn forward and her bottom lip quivered. He wraps his arm around her as she leans forward and buries her face in his shoulder, even in the wheelchair. The long overdue breakdown he's been waiting on since she woke up, dazed and confused from the sedative they had given her, finally happens. It's in the middle of a hospital corridor and he's awkwardly comforting her from the floor in front of her wheelchair, but if this was what she needed to be okay again, then who the hell cared?

And, anyway, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't on the verge of a breakdown, himself.


End file.
